What Movie Only Made $20 Dollars? Box Office Flops That Shocked Everyone

Ever wondered if a movie could make less money than your kid’s lemonade stand? It happened. Technically, the world record for lowest-grossing film goes to “Zyzzyx Road,” starring Katherine Heigl. Its opening week in 2006 pulled in just $20 from the box office—barely enough for a large popcorn at some theaters.

It’s not just a funny bit of trivia. There are reasons behind such a shockingly low number, and understanding them can help film fans and movie creators alike. Most movies, even the bad ones, scrape together at least enough for lunch money, so how does one end up with just a single $20 bill in receipts? The answer includes weird rules about theatrical releases, industry loopholes, and the fact that sometimes, almost no one hears about the film in the first place.

If you’re thinking of making your own movie someday, or you just love wild Hollywood stories, stick around. There’s a lot more to how and why a movie flops—and what we all can learn from it—than most people imagine. Plus, you’ll find out which flicks almost broke the $20 record in ridiculously creative ways.

• The $20 Movie: Is It Real?
• How Does a Movie Make So Little?
• Other Record-Breaking Box Office Bombs
• Red Flags: How to Spot a Likely Flop
• Lessons for Filmmakers and Movie Fans

The $20 Movie: Is It Real?

This sounds like an urban legend, but it’s true—a movie really did make just $20 at the official box office. The film was “Zyzzyx Road,” starring Katherine Heigl and Tom Sizemore. Released in 2006, it only ran one week at a single theater in Dallas, Texas. Not across the country. Not even around the block. Just one quiet spot, for a few days, with hardly anyone noticing it even existed.

Why would a movie with real actors even get this kind of release? It was all about fulfilling a contract—movies sometimes need a short stateside run to meet rules for international DVD sales. “Zyzzyx Road” had an official U.S. release, sure, but there was so little marketing that only six people actually bought tickets. And fun twist—one of those tickets was bought by a crew member, so even the filmmakers barely watched their own movie in theaters.

If you’re curious about how this looks compared to other lowest-grossing films, here’s a look at the numbers:

For context, even most huge flops at least crack a few thousand dollars. This is one of the reasons movie trivia fans never forget about “Zyzzyx Road”—it didn’t just bomb, it reinvented what bombing looks like in the movie world.

How Does a Movie Make So Little?

This might sound nuts, but a box office take of $20 isn’t just about people hating the film. Sometimes almost nobody knows the movie even exists. Let’s take “Zyzzyx Road” for example. It wasn’t meant to be a big hit. The whole U.S. release was one tiny theater in Dallas, Texas, playing for just six days. Most people in Dallas didn’t even know it was on. Apparently, only six people bought tickets. One of them was a crew member.

Why would a movie get such a small showing? The answer: weird industry rules have a lot to do with it. Studios sometimes need to prove a movie got a theatrical release so they can sell it overseas, claim tax breaks, or just fulfill contracts. If a film is already considered a lost cause, they barely promote it or put effort into getting it seen. Instead, they check the “box office” box with the bare minimum: a single theater, little or no advertising, and usually awkward show times.

Here’s how movies end up with record–low earnings:

• No marketing: If nobody hears about it, nobody goes. Simple as that.
• Tiny releases: One theater, one week, weird hours. It doesn’t set the stage for a hit.
• Legal technicalities: Sometimes it’s all about meeting a rule, not getting an audience.
• Direct-to-video mindset: Studios know a film won’t make money in theaters so they just want it out of the way.
• Weird release timing: Playing at 11 AM on weekdays? That’s just asking for empty seats.

For comparison, check this out:

So, if you see a movie pull in less than what you spend on groceries, odds are you’re looking at a rare case of industry loopholes mixed with no publicity. It’s actually pretty rare for a movie to tank this badly, but when it happens, it makes for some hilarious and slightly sad movie trivia.

Other Record-Breaking Box Office Bombs

The story of box office disaster isn’t just about one movie. “Zyzzyx Road” might wear the crown with its $20 opening haul, but it’s got company at the very bottom of Hollywood’s barrel. Some films have cost millions to make, yet barely made a dent with ticket sales.

Take “The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure.” This G-rated flick was meant to be the next “Teletubbies” for kids. The budget was around $20 million, but it limped away with less than $1.1 million at the box office—which means they didn’t even make back what they spent on advertising. Talk about a facepalm moment for movie investors.

Another famous trainwreck: “Delgo” (2008), an animated fantasy with a stacked voice cast, including Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt. With a budget of $40 million, the movie ended up making just $915,000. That’s less than some used cars. Even the creative team later admitted they’d aimed way out of their league.

And then there’s “Gigli” (2003), the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck flop. People love to joke about it, but the numbers are no laughing matter. With a $54 million budget, “Gigli” scraped by with a $7.2 million return. That’s less than some movies make in one weekend.

Here’s a quick look at some of the lowest-grossing major-release movies and how much they actually pulled in:

Some of these films wound up as running jokes in Hollywood, while others quietly vanished from memory. If you think it’s impossible for a movie to earn less than a local bake sale, just remember this list. The lesson here: big budgets don’t guarantee big results. Poor marketing, bad timing, and just plain weird scripts play a huge part in these movie flop legends.

Red Flags: How to Spot a Likely Flop

Not every box office disaster is a total surprise—there are a bunch of warning signs if you know what to look for. Movie fans love to spot these, and honestly, so do people working behind the scenes. If you catch enough, you can often guess if a movie isn’t going to make back its budget before the first ticket is sold.

Here are the big red flags that signal a movie might be heading for flop status:

• No Marketing or Buzz: If you barely hear about a film before release, that’s a big clue. Remember “Zyzzyx Road”? It had close to zero marketing outside of industry insiders, so nobody showed up to watch.
• Last-Minute Release Date Changes: Shuffling dates over and over usually means the studio is nervous or giving up. It tells fans they don’t have faith in the finished product.
• Bad Test Screenings: Word travels fast if early audiences hate a film, and studios sometimes pull movies for reshoots—rarely a good sign.
• No Press Screenings: When critics don’t get to see a film in advance, studios are probably hiding something. Think of it as the movie equivalent of trying to dodge a tough school test.
• Weird Theater Releases: Some films open in just one theater, on a random weekday, during the slowest part of the year. That’s usually just to fulfill a contract—zero hope for real sales.

You can also look at data. Take a peek at these box office bombs and their marketing numbers:

It’s wild—spend all you want on making the movie, but if nobody knows about it or the signs above line up, it’s probably headed for the lowest-grossing film list. Watch out for these red flags next time you see a new movie appear out of nowhere.

Lessons for Filmmakers and Movie Fans

It sounds wild, but there really are things to learn from a movie making just $20 at the box office. For filmmakers, these massive flops shine a light on common mistakes—sometimes it's not about talent or effort, but what happens around the release.

Distribution matters way more than you think. “Zyzzyx Road” was released in only one theater for a week, basically to meet a contract for overseas distribution deals. If nobody knows your movie is playing, how will tickets sell? It's proof that your planning shouldn’t end with ‘the last day on set’—the journey from finished film to actual audience is a whole extra hurdle. According to a Hollywood Reporter interview, “It's not always the film's fault. Sometimes, the release strategy is totally disconnected from the film's actual potential.”

“We spent more time on editing than on planning how people would see it. That was our biggest mistake.” — John Penney, writer of Zyzzyx Road, 2013

Marketing is the lifeblood, whether you have a huge budget or just a couple thousand bucks. People won’t see your film if they don’t hear about it. This is a spot where even big studios sometimes drop the ball. For example, “Delgo” (another movie flop) was barely advertised and made only $694 in its opening weekend. You need buzz, previews, festivals, even social media posts. Bring your story to life outside the movie itself.

What about movie fans? Don’t judge pure quality by opening numbers. Some flops actually have something special but get buried by bad timing, poor promotion, or technicalities. Cult favorites like “The Room” were basically ignored at cinema release, but picked up major fans later. Sometimes, digging for these underdogs is how you’ll discover your new all-time favorite.

Thinking about how lowest-grossing films performed? Here’s a quick look at the numbers:

If you ever feel let down by low numbers, remember: distribution, marketing, and word-of-mouth still mean everything. For filmmakers, it can help to do this checklist before releasing your movie:

• Test your film with small audiences and adjust based on feedback.
• Invest time in social media buzz and grassroots campaigns.
• Work with local theaters or festivals for a real audience, not just to check a contract box.
• Don't ignore marketing—even a small push can make a huge difference.

No one sets out to make a movie flop. But if you can learn from these extremes, your next project might just avoid the dreaded $20 ticket total—and you might even get people talking for all the right reasons.

Sienna Hawthorne

I am an entertainment journalist with a passion for Indian cinema. Writing allows me to dive deep into the diverse world of film, and I often explore the cultural nuances and storytelling aspects of Bollywood and regional films. My work involves interviewing filmmakers, attending screenings, and reviewing the narrative techniques that shape modern Indian cinema.