What is the only box office bomb of Tom Cruise’s entire career?
When we think of the ultimate Hollywood star, the kind so far removed from everyday, ordinary life, someone like Tom Cruise might come to mind. Having starred in many action franchises and completing the big stunts himself, Cruise has established himself as a quintessential icon of the silver screen. He mainly appears in huge blockbusters, appealing to mainstream audiences with his all-American persona.
From Top Gun and Mission: Impossible to Jack Reacher and Edge of Tomorrow, Cruise has starred in his fair share of high-grossing action films. Yet, he has also featured in a range of genres, impressing with leading roles in the gothic horror Interview with the Vampire, the sci-fi drama Vanilla Sky, and the Paul Thomas Anderson drama Magnolia.
There is not a movie lover who won’t have seen Cruise in something; his on-screen presence is inescapable. He has an impressive track record for appearing in hugely successful movies; put simply, if Cruise is cast in a film, there is a high chance it will gross a lot of millions.
Even though Cruise has had his fair share of controversies, ranging from his endorsement of Scientology to his questionable opinions on therapy and the use of medication to treat mental illnesses, he has still become one of the most profitable stars in all of Hollywood.
When you look at his filmography, it is hard to find a film that hasn’t raked in a decent amount of money, but there are a few that certainly didn’t perform as well as he might have hoped. Luckily for Cruise, there is only really one film he has starred in that defied expectations and became an actual box-office flop.
In 1985, he appeared in Ridley Scott’s Legend, an epic fantasy film that failed to capture the heights that the director had reached in movies like Alien and Blade Runner. It flopped both critically and commercially, with Scott’s idea of making a movie inspired by dark fairytales completely failing. The project proved to be a bit of a mess, with only the impressive visuals sticking out as the film’s main redeeming quality. It follows Cruise and Mia Sara’s characters as they attempt to save the world from perpetual darkness, which Tim Curry’s character seeks to put into place by getting goblins to kill unicorns.
Made on a budget of $25million, the movie only returned $23.5m at the box office. Clearly, it wasn’t Scott’s best work, but it wasn’t Cruise’s either. It was one of those ‘80s fantasy films that just didn’t hit the mark, and it seems as though Cruise would rather forget he ever starred in it.
Still, if it wasn’t for Legend, he might not have landed his role in Top Gun. The actor was introduced by Scott to his brother, Tony Scott, who then cast Cruise in his film. Top Gun would prove to be a breakout role for Cruise, who played lead character Maverick to great acclaim. The movie allowed him to receive countless more acting roles in its wake, leading him to become one of Hollywood’s most popular stars.
