As the old saying goes, when the legend becomes fact, print the legend. Such is life for some of Hollywood's most notorious box office bombs, even if the films weren't technically "bombs."
Take "Waterworld," for instance: Kevin Costner's costly and critically battered 1995 has often been cited as a major failure, but it actually made $264 million worldwide on a reported budget of $175 million.
"I've probably said [that 'Waterworld' made money] ad nauseum, but people don't give a sh-t," Costner told HuffPost Entertainment. "So, it doesn't really matter. It just is what it is."
Costner isn't alone, of course, in taking heat for a "bomb" that wasn't a bomb. Below, find 10 other commonly cited box office busts that probably made a lot more money than you realized.
[Budget figures and grosses via Box Office Mojo]
1. "The Tourist"
Reported budget: $100 million
Global gross: $278 million
2. "Knight and Day"
Reported budget: $117 million
Global gross: $261 million
3. "Dark Shadows"
Reported budget: $150 million
Global gross: $245 million
4. "The Dictator"
Reported budget: $65 million
Global gross: $177 million
5. "Hulk":
Reported budget: $137 million
Global gross: $245 million
6. "The Last Airbender"
Reported budget: $150 million
Global gross: $319 million
7. "The Beach"
Reported budget: $50 million
Global gross: $144 million
8. "Batman and Robin"
Reported budget: $125 million
Global gross: $238 million
9. "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters"
Reported budget: $50 million
Global gross: $225 million
10. "The Hangover Part III"
Reported budget: $103 million
Global gross: $200 million (and counting)
Before You Go
