Here are some of the biggest flops in Hollywood. Let’s hope that casting agents start to learn from others’ mistakes. Some of these movies didn’t have potential, to be honest… But others were completely ruined because they pushed the wrong actor into a role.
Jackson Rathbone and Nicola Peltz in The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender was a fabulous cartoon on Nickelodeon. Fans, young and old, were excited to see the live-action version by M. Night Shyamalan. Unfortunately, he delivered a bizarre version with all of the ethnicities of all of the characters. It was all sorts of wrong, even the actual creators of the show weren’t into it.
Robert De Niro as the Creature
If you’ve never heard of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein movie with Robert De Niro, know that you’re not alone. There’s a reason as to why no one talks about it. De Niro played The Creature and didn’t bother masking his thick New York accent. It wasn’t a good match.
Kevin Spacey as Bobby Darin
The Bobby Darin biopic was popular and people loved it, but there were some things behind the scenes that were a bit weird. Kevin Spacey was the producer and director of the film, but he also insisted on playing Darin. Spacey was 45 at the time playing a 20-year-old Bobby Darin… Just weird.
Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates
No one really wanted the remake of Psycho to happen. Everyone was pretty pleased with Hitchcock’s version, but that didn’t stop it from being made. Vince Vaughn played Norman Bates, and he did not deliver.
Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano
This casting failure was of no fault of Jennifer Lawrence. She even admitted that she believes she was too young for the role. She played Joy Mangano who was supposed to be in her mid-30s and into her 40s. Lawrence was about a decade too young to really accurately portray the divorced mother.
Every Single Person in Exodus: Gods and Kings
Here’s something that might be news to you: Egyptian’s and Israeli’s are not White. For some reason, the people who created this film thought that wasn’t true, and decided to cast all of the main characters as White.
Jared Leto as The Joker
Most people aren’t a fan of Suicide Squad for very fair reasons. Jared Leto was known for taking things too far on set and never left the character on the sound stage. Weirdly enough, he just didn’t live up to the expectations and is now known as the worst Joker out there.
Scarlett Johansson as Major
Ghost in the Shell is a highly regarded anime, and people were excited to see it coming to the silver screen. The excitement and anticipation went up in smoke when Scarlett Johansson was cast as Major. Many believed that they whitewashed Major just to get more people to the film. Welp, it didn’t work, because it tanked.
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker
Star Wars fans were less than thrilled with the prequel trilogy. These films were supposed to establish and set up the rest of the series… It flopped horribly. Hayden Christensen played Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader, for those who don’t know) and needless to say… No one was convinced.
Colin Farrell as Alexander
Alexander the Great is an ancient Greek king. Colin Farrell seemed like a good fit to play him in Alexander. It probably would have been great if he didn’t keep his Irish accent…
Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush
George W. Bush isn’t the most popular president, but critics were still looking forward to the biopic W. In a bizarre twist, Elizabeth Banks was cast as Laura Bush. That would have been fine, but Banks was portraying Bush when she was in her 50s. Banks was 36.
Johnny Depp as Tonto
Johnny Depp is no stranger to controversy. Disney wrongly cast Depp as Native American Tonto for The Lone Ranger. Critics were not pleased with his depiction of a Native American, and the film tanked.
Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
No offense to Jesse Eisenberg, but Lex Luthor is a bit… Tougher. Lex is supposed to be a bully and menacing. Nothing about Eisenberg really screams that, unfortunately.
Mark Wahlberg as Elliott Moore
Mark Wahlberg isn’t really known for his serious roles, so M. Night Shyamalan’s decision to cast him in The Happening was quite bizarre. Unfortunately, no one was really feeling it, and the movie didn’t fare well.
Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher
If you’re going to make a book to movie adaption, you have to nail the casting. Unfortunately, Jack Reacher didn’t cut it. In the book, Reacher was supposed to be 6’5″, weigh 250 pounds, and look extremely cut and lean. Tom Cruise has literally none of those attributes…
Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker
Everyone loves Keanu Reeves. He can do no wrong. So, honestly, we’re going to place the blame on his agent and the casting director. Reeves’ English accent didn’t bode well in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but we’re glad that he tried.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan Noonien Singh
In the 1960s Star Trek, Khan Noonien Singh was depicted as a person of color. In a bizarre twist, Benedict Cumberbatch was cast on this role. J.J. Abrams got some backlash, but the movie still did well.
Chloe Grace Möretz as Carrie White
Chloe Grace Möretz is not what Carrie is supposed to look like, that’s a fact. Möretz also has the demeanor of the girls who bully Carrie, so it was definitely not a good match. Maybe we’ll get a Carrie remake…
Kevin Costner as Robin Hood
Why would they cast someone who can’t do a British accent? Kevin Costner did his best, but it turned out to be very pitiful.
Denise Richards as a Bond Girl
In 1999’s The World Is Not Enough, Denise Richards played Dr. Christmas Jones. Many diehard fans felt that her character was merely there to look hot instead of helping save the day.
Angelina Jolie as Roxane
In Alexander, Angelina Jolie played Colin Farrell’s mother. Jolie was only a year older than Farrell. It’s so obvious that Hollywood isn’t interested in hiring older actresses…
M. Night Shyamalan as Vick Ran
He’s really just trying his best over here. He’s known for making cameo’s in his own movies, but in Lady in the Water, most viewers wished he just… Didn’t. It took away from the scene and was way too forced to feel like a natural part of the film.
Sofia Coppola in The Godfather: Part III
The Godfather fans aren’t easy to please, but this was basically asking for it. Coppola completely took viewers out of the moment… She just wasn’t right for the part.
George Clooney as Batman
“I always apologize for Batman & Robin,” Clooney said in an interview on The Graham Norton Show. “I actually thought I destroyed the franchise until somebody else brought it back years later and changed it. I thought at the time, ‘This is going to be a very good career move.’ It wasn’t.”
Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland
For someone who hasn’t seen Prometheus, it’s hard to tell that this isn’t supposed to be some sort of mutated person… This is the makeup for an elderly man. They made Guy Pearce sit in all of this bad makeup, even Peace himself wasn’t convinced on his part.
Topher Grace as Venom
Even if someone can be the part and pull it off, their career might say otherwise. When Venom appeared to be Eric Forman, audiences were less than impressed.
Emma Stone as Allison Ng
Emma Stone is a wonderful actress but is definitely 100% White. Allison Ng, the character she was portraying in Aloha is Hawaiian and Chinese. Already, it was set to fail.
Ed Skrein as Major Ben Daimio
Ben Daimio in Hellboy is Japanese-American. Ed Skrein was cast to play him in the film but ultimately stepped down after criticism. See, at least someone gets it.
Jake Gyllenhaal as Dr. Johnny Wilcox
Jake Gyllenhaal is pretty good at playing creepy parts, but for some reason, he just couldn’t deliver in Okja.
Scarlett Johansson as Dante “Tex” Gil
She’s back! This time, she decided to play a different gender. Dante “Tex” Gill is a trans man, but Johansson felt like she somehow fit the criteria. I mean, look how much they look alike? *Sarcasm*
The Heroes in The 15:17 to Paris
This film is based on the terrifying event of when three men stopped a murderer with an AK-47 on a train from Paris to Amsterdam. Clint Eastwood had the bright idea of hiring the actual men who did this to play themselves. It didn’t work, as they were not professional actors.
Dakota Johnson as Anastasia
Everyone knows about the travesty that is Fifty Shades of Grey. Dakota Johnson is usually a fine actor, but this was just… Not great.
Robert Pattinson as Salvador DalÃ
This one kind of fell under the radar, didn’t it? Pattinson had the difficult task of playing Salvador Dalà in Little Ashes. He didn’t quite deliver, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a fabulous actor!
Kristen Stewart as Snow White
Kristen Stewart has a bit of a controversial past. A lot of people absolutely hated her as Bella Swan in Twilight. That basically transferred completely into Snow White and the Huntsman. Many critics disliked her pained disposition that was the same in Twilight.
Elijah Wood as Matt Buckner
Of course, we love Elijah Wood. It was just unfortunate that he was miscast in Green Street. He’s simply not the tough guy that they wanted him to be!
James Franco as Oz
Franco is a bit of a character, but not this much. A lot of people can agree that he just wasn’t the fit for this role.
Orlando Bloom as Balian de Ibelin
Orlando Bloom was a great pirate, but not a great warrior. Still, this movie was filed with great scenes from Ed Norton and Eva Green.
Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor
Lohan hasn’t had the easier ride in the spotlight. She was an adorable child star and developed into a troubled adult. She’s had a lot of issues in the past decade and became very controversial. Many people believed that she didn’t deserve to play Elizabeth Taylor.
Will Smith as the Genie
We can all agree that Aladdin as a live-action film is not our favorite thing. Will Smith playing the Genie seems like it would be fitting, but honestly… It just feels weird to see.
Sean Connery as Ramirez
For this role, many people said that Connery simply didn’t have the background for this role. Every character is Scottish. The person that he plays is Egyptian. How did casting Connery make sense?
Zooey Deschanel as Trillian
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was very anticipated, but audiences were disappointed to see Deschanel’s performance on the screen. She had her classic quirky charm, but that was about it.
Justin Timberlake as Mickey Rubin
JT came under fire for working with Woody Allen in the first place. Then, the film flopped due to its boring aesthetic and the fact that people are still trying to boycott Allen.
Nicholas Cage as the Ghost Rider
Nic Cage has it rough in the film industry. The fact that it was Cage playing this very serious and intense role simply didn’t help the film since Cage himself is such a character.
Jessica Alba as the Invisible Woman
Alba simply flopped on her own. Her acting was subpar, and she was called lifeless and expressionless in this role.
Jack Black as Carl Denham
There are a lot of mixed reviews about this casting. Black was applauded for his effort, but a lot of people felt that he wasn’t a fit. Some say he looked out of his element.
Jennifer Garner as Elektra
Garner is known for being a sweet actress, so her role as Elektra just didn’t add up.
Brad Pitt as Achilles
Just to put it simply: Brad Pitt is too much of a pretty boy to play Achilles. Even in this photo, his “hard stare” is more of a smolder…
Ben Affleck as Batman
This entire film was a mess on its own, and Affleck was a huge part of it. A lot of fans were hoping that he would prove everyone doubting him wrong… Nope, didn’t work.
Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald
During the casting of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find THem, Depp was in the midst of abuse accusations. Fans were extremely disappointed in Warner Bros. and director David Yates that they still allowed him in the film.
Joseph Fiennes as Michael Jackson
This MJ portrayal made Jackson’s daughter, Paris write about how she felt actually sick watching this episode of Urban Myths. This episode was pulled completely.
Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone
Nina Simone is one of the most influential women in music. She is an incredible figure for the Black community, especially Black women in music. People were upset with Saldana’s casting as they believe they wanted to make Simone look more “appealing” to the audience, which would erase part of her history.
Steven Wilder Striegel in The Predator
Shane Black released Predator in 2018. He hired his friend to play a small role in the film, but people were disgusted to see him on the screen. Steven Wilder Striegel spent six months in jail for having an online relationship with a 14-year-old girl.
John Wayne as Genghis Khan
John Wayne portrayed Chinese Emperor Genghis Khan in the 1956 film The Conqueror. I’m sure you see the problem. Another controversial thing about this film is that it was filmed in a radioactive wasteland. Half of the cast and crew, including Wayne, died of cancer after they finished filming.
Tony Curtis as Antoninus
Tony Curtis was too much of a pretty boy in Spartacus. Although he was a popular name, audiences just weren’t convinced. He also didn’t even try to hide his New York accent.
Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi
This one is rough. Mickey Rooney did a horrible rendition of yellowface as Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs
Ashton Kutcher played Steve Jobs in the biopic Jobs. Unfortunately, this goofy actor didn’t take the correct role in his transition into more serious roles. Also, he’s just a bit too recognizable to play someone like Jobs.
Rihanna as Cora “Weps” Raikes
We all love Rihanna, but she just wasn’t the fit for this role. She even won a Golden Raspberry for Worst Supporting Actress.
Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor
Emilia Clarke plays Sarah Connor in Terminator Genisys, but it sadly fell short. She’s still an amazing actress!
Cameron Diaz as Jenny Everdeane
Diaz did her best in Gangs of New York, but it simply didn’t pan out. Her Irish accent didn’t work out, and her chemistry with Leonardo DiCaprio hit a dead end.
Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern
Ryan Reynolds is definitely way better as Deadpool. To be fair, Green Lantern was an awful movie with awful CGI and awful writing.