15 Times a Movie Just Tried to Copy a Trend and Still Failed

When a certain type of movie becomes a hit, it’s only a matter of time before studios try to replicate the formula. Big franchises, shared universes, gritty reboots, and young adult adaptations have all sparked waves of imitators hoping to capture the same success.

But following a trend doesn’t always work, especially when audiences can tell something feels derivative or arrives too late. In many cases, these films had the budget and the blueprint, but not the originality or timing to stand out. These are the movies that tried to ride the wave of a popular trend and still ended up falling short.

Green Lantern

Released during the early superhero boom, it attempted to capitalize on the growing comic book trend but failed to stand out, underperforming financially and critically despite a large budget and franchise ambitions.

John Carter

Despite adapting a story that inspired many sci-fi trends, the film ended up feeling like a copy of later space epics. Audiences saw it as derivative, contributing to one of Disney’s biggest box office failures.

Battleship

Clearly riding the wave of blockbuster spectacle films like Transformers, it leaned heavily on visual effects and large-scale destruction but failed to resonate with audiences or critics.

The Mummy

An attempt to launch a shared cinematic universe similar to Marvel’s, the film struggled with tone and identity, ultimately collapsing Universal’s planned “Dark Universe” before it could properly begin.

Fantastic Four

Trying to replicate the darker tone popularized by The Dark Knight, the film clashed between gritty realism and superhero expectations, resulting in a poorly received and commercially disappointing reboot.

Eragon

Released during the fantasy boom sparked by The Lord of the Rings, it attempted to capture the same appeal but was criticized for its execution and failed to launch a franchise.

The Golden Compass

Positioned to capitalize on the success of fantasy franchises, it struggled with tone and adaptation choices, underperforming domestically and halting plans for sequels.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Attempted to blend classic mythology with modern blockbuster style, following trends of stylized reboots, but audiences didn’t connect with its approach, leading to a major box office disappointment.

The Lone Ranger

Trying to replicate the success of Pirates of the Caribbean with a similar creative team, it failed to capture the same magic, becoming one of Disney’s most notable flops.

Jupiter Ascending

Aiming to create a new space opera franchise in the mold of Star Wars, it leaned into large-scale world-building but was criticized for its storytelling and underperformed commercially.

Pan

Part of the trend of reimagining classic stories with darker or more epic tones, it failed to attract audiences and became a notable box office disappointment.

Mortal Engines

Attempted to replicate the YA fantasy and dystopian boom, but audiences had moved on from the trend, resulting in a major box office loss.

The Dark Tower

Attempted to blend fantasy and blockbuster action trends, but failed to satisfy fans or newcomers, leading to poor reception and canceled franchise plans.

Robin Hood

Another attempt to modernize a classic story with a gritty, stylized approach, following contemporary trends, but it failed to gain traction.

Gods of Egypt

Tried to replicate the success of mythological action films like Clash of the Titans, but was criticized heavily and performed poorly at the box office.