Steven Spielberg Movies That Missed Break-Even
Steven Spielberg Movies That Missed Break-Even (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

Throughout his illustrious career, Steven Spielberg has delivered a fine blend of critically acclaimed films and massive box office hits. Some of his highest-grossing films are Jurassic Park (1993), E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Ready Player One (2018), and War of the Worlds (2005). Diehard cinephiles across the globe are now eagerly waiting for his next directorial effort – the alien-themed sci-fi film Disclosure Day. It is set to hit theaters on June 12, 2026.

Steven Spielberg has directed several highly profitable films. For instance, Jurassic Park generated a theatrical profit of $945.5 million, E.T. made a theatrical profit of $771 million, and The Lost World: Jurassic Park made a theatrical profit of $436.1 million (using the 2.5x multiplier rule). On the other hand, some of his films could not surpass their break-even point. Here is a list of the Steven Spielberg-directed movies that missed their theatrical break-even points and could not generate a profit at the box office.

Steven Spielberg Films That Missed Break-Even

Let’s take a look at the Steven Spielberg films that missed break-even during their theatrical release. We have listed their worldwide earnings (per Box Office Mojo or The Numbers), budgets, and theatrical break-even points (calculated using the 2.5x multiplier rule).

1. Empire of the Sun (1987)

  • Worldwide Earnings: $22.2 million
  • Budget: $35 million
  • Break-Even: $87.5 million

2. Always (1989)

  • Worldwide Earnings: $74.1 million
  • Budget: $31 million
  • Break-Even: $77.5 million

3. Amistad (1997)

  • Worldwide Earnings: $65.5 million
  • Budget: $40 million
  • Break-Even: $100 million

4. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

  • Worldwide Earnings: $235.9 million
  • Budget: $100 million
  • Break-Even: $250 million

5. Munich (2005)

  • Worldwide Earnings: $131 million
  • Budget: $70 million
  • Break-Even: $175 million

6. The BFG (2016)

  • Worldwide Earnings: $194.7 million
  • Budget: $140 million
  • Break-Even: $350 million

7. West Side Story (2021)

  • Worldwide Earnings: $76 million
  • Budget: $100 million
  • Break-Even: $250 million

8. The Fabelmans (2022)

  • Worldwide Earnings: $45.6 million
  • Budget: $40 million
  • Break-Even: $100 million

What The Above Numbers Indicate

Based on the above figures and calculations, it can be observed that out of the films directed by Steven Spielberg that missed their estimated break-even, West Side Story missed its target by the biggest margin – it was around $174 million short of reaching its break-even point. At the same time, the 1989 film Always missed its break-even target by just $3.4 million.

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