Before the days of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, Hollywood tried to make pirate adventure films accessible with a small film called “Cutthroat Island”. The results have been disastrous. Produced on a budget of $ 98 million, “Cutthroat Island” grossed just $ 10 million at the domestic box office during its entire run, according to Box Office Mojo. The film was considered one of the biggest box office bombs of all time, even holding a Guinness World Record for that particular feat at one point (per Insider). Geena Davis and Matthew Modine were the protagonists of the film, and it almost ruined Davis’ entire career (via Collider).

Still, Davis eventually recovered, starring in the “Stuart Little” films, the first of which grossed $ 300 million at the box office. And while it may have bombed back then, “Cutthroat Island” has found itself undergoing a sort of re-evaluation in modern times. On his 25th birthday, Forbes argued that he deserved to be “rediscovered” by the public for his “unpretentiousness” and his thrills with elaborate practical effects. Yet at the time, it did more damage to Davis and his career and arguably undermined all faith studios in pirate-related films until the massive success of “Pirates of the Caribbean” wore off. produce.