Summary
- Hype can make or break a movie – only the rare few can exceed expectations.
- Some films live up to the excitement, delighting fans and critics alike.
- Excitement for a movie can be based on big names, franchises, or a killer premise.
Most film fans know the feeling of being disappointed by an overhyped movie, but there are some movies which surpass their high expectations. Fans can get excited for movies for all sorts of reasons. Often, big franchises and big actors are enough to generate a certain level of interest, but a great marketing campaign and a killer hook also helps. Sadly, not all movies can live up to such high hopes.
A lot of the most disappointing movies are doomed by the ridiculous level of hype that accompany them. When audiences have such high expectations, it’s an almost impossible task to meet them. However, there are a few movies which prove that fans were right in being excited. In these cases, the anticipation makes the movie even more enjoyable, because the payoff is so satisfying.
Related 10 Massively Hyped Movies That Turned Out Very Different From Expectations
Some very highly anticipated movies were absolutely nothing like what audiences were expecting following their extensive and protracted hype.
10 The Avengers (2012)
Marvel’s First Avengers Movie Changed The Game For Superhero Movies
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The Avengers Where to Watch
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Director Joss Whedon Release Date May 4, 2012 Cast Chris Hemsworth , Mark Ruffalo , Robert Downey Jr. , Scarlett Johansson , Samuel L. Jackson , Stellan Skarsgård , Clark Gregg , Paul Bettany , Cobie Smulders , Tom Hiddleston , Jeremy Renner , Gwyneth Paltrow , Chris Evans Expand
The MCU has expanded its scope exponentially over the past few years, as the movies and TV shows both take their first tentative steps into the multiverse. After Infinity War and Endgame, the first Avengers movie seems relatively quaint by comparison, with a small group of heroes who can all fit on screen together without looking like an L. S. Lowry painting. However, this was a huge event at the time.
The MCU’s first big team-up movie did not disappoint, and it remains one of the franchise’s best action movies.
The MCU’s first big team-up movie did not disappoint, and it remains one of the franchise’s best action movies. The alien invasion of New York and the ensuing battle are both spectacular, but The Avengers also works well in the more quiet moments. Even when none of the characters are suited up for battle, there are some interesting personal conflicts threatening to rip the group apart.
9 Oppenheimer (2023)
Oppenheimer Achieved Financial And Critical Success
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Oppenheimer Where to Watch
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Director Christopher Nolan Release Date July 21, 2023 Cast Cillian Murphy , Emily Blunt , Matt Damon , Robert Downey Jr. , Rami Malek , Florence Pugh
Oppenheimer amassed an incredible amount of hype for a three-hour historical biopic. Part of this can be attributed to the public’s interest in J. Robert Oppenheimer, the controversial figure at the center of a turbulent period in American history. What’s probably more important is that Oppenheimer boasts a great ensemble cast, and it represented a bold leap forward for Christopher Nolan.
Oppenheimer
had enough hype to ensure a strong box office opening, but not many people predicted that the movie would reach just shy of a billion dollars.
Oppenheimer had enough hype to ensure a strong box office opening, but not many people predicted that the movie would reach just shy of a billion dollars. Strong reviews were a big factor, and Oppenheimer went on to win seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Christopher Nolan won his Oscar for Best Director, and he now seems unable to lose at the box office, or during awards season.
8 Barbie (2023)
Greta Gerwig’s Comedy Exceeded Expectations
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Barbie Where to Watch
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Director Greta Gerwig Release Date July 21, 2023 Cast Margot Robbie , Ryan Gosling , Simu Liu , Ariana Greenblatt , Helen Mirren , Nicola Coughlan , John Cena , Will Ferrell , Ritu Arya , Michael Cera , America Ferrera , Alexandra Shipp , Kate McKinnon
One big reason for the hype behind Oppenheimer was the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. Both Barbie and Oppenheimer can thank each other for some of their box office revenue and a lot of the anticipation that accompanied them when they were released. Even without “Barbenheimer,” Barbie still would have generated a lot of interest, since big-budget comedies are exceedingly rare, and Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are all box office draws.
Barbie
easily cleared a billion dollars at the box office, and its Oscar nomination for Best Picture shows that critics were just as impressed as audiences.
What could have been a formulaic cash grab based on a recognizable brand turned out to be a thoughtful and entertaining movie about gender, belonging and finding one’s purpose. Barbie easily cleared a billion dollars at the box office, and its Oscar nomination for Best Picture shows that critics were just as impressed as audiences. Barbie already has a swarm of imitators, but it’s unlikely that any of them will be as inventive and fresh.
7 Jurassic Park (1993)
Steven Spielberg Has Always Been The Master Of Cinematic Spectacle
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Jurassic Park Where to Watch
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Director Steven Spielberg Release Date June 11, 1993 Cast Sam Neill , Laura Dern , Jeff Goldblum , Richard Attenborough , Bob Peck , Martin Ferrero
Universal gave Jurassic Park a huge promotional push, and it got fans of all ages excited about the idea of seeing dinosaurs living and breathing on the big screen. Dinosaurs have always captured the hearts of people, since they represent a slice of epic mythology that existed here on Earth. Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park plays up to this sense of wonder, and trailers showed glimpses of a prehistoric world being brought back to life.
Universal gave
Jurassic Park
a huge promotional push, and it got fans of all ages excited about the idea of seeing dinosaurs living and breathing on the big screen.
Jurassic Park is just as spectacular as it was billed to be, helped along by a soaring score from John Williams. Beyond the splashy effects and Spielberg’s unparalleled eye for cinematic splendor, Jurassic Park is a great child-friendly horror movie. It’s no wonder that it kick-started a multi-billion dollar franchise, although none of the sequels have matched the original. Jurassic World 4 represents a new era for the franchise, and the anticipation is already rising.
6 Titanic (1997)
James Cameron’s Big-Budget Gamble Paid Off
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Titanic Where to Watch
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Director James Cameron Release Date December 19, 1997 Cast David Warner , Kathy Bates , Billy Zane , Bill Paxton , Bernard Hill , Kate Winslet , Leonardo DiCaprio , Gloria Stuart , Frances Fisher , Victor Garber
The remarkable true story behind Titanic got audiences excited for James Cameron’s movie long before it was released. Cameron’s reputation was also a huge factor, especially considering that Titanic was a passion project of his. The director has often spoken about his fascination with the sinking of the ship in 1912, and he made a concerted effort to reproduce the ship and some of its passengers as faithfully as possible.
Titanic
surpassed each lofty expectation that audiences thrust upon it, becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time and winning 11 Oscars.
Titanic surpassed each lofty expectation that audiences thrust upon it, becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time and winning 11 Oscars. Titanic helped launch Leonardo DiCaprio to stardom, and it solidified Cameron’s status as an intelligent blockbuster director. Although it could easily have been crushed under the burden of its own hype, Titanic has earned its place as a classic cinematic love story.
5 Toy Story 3 (2010)
Toy Story 3 Was Pixar’s Most Hotly-Anticipated Movie
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Toy Story 3 Where to Watch
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Director Lee Unkrich Release Date June 18, 2010 Cast Jodi Benson , Ned Beatty , Tim Allen , Tom Hanks , Joan Cusack
The first Toy Story movie represented a revolution in animated movies, and its computer-generated animation reshaped the industry. As well as being a technical masterpiece, Toy Story is also a beautiful story that established Pixar’s style early on. There was an 11-year gap between Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3, so fans were excited for the return of the franchise. Toy Story 3 did not disappoint.
Toy Story 3
provided the perfect culmination to the franchise, back when it seemed like it would remain as a trilogy.
Toy Story 3 provided the perfect culmination to the franchise, back when it seemed like it would remain as a trilogy. Andy acknowledged that he had to grow up and leave Buzz and Woody behind, just like the audience did, but Toy Story 3‘s ending provided hope that the characters would all have plenty of good times in their futures. It would have been the perfect final chapter, but Toy Story 3‘s stellar reviews and its billion-dollar gross profit meant that another sequel was too hard to resist for Pixar.
4 Dune (2021)
Sci-Fi Fans Have Been Waiting Decades For A Suitable Adaptation
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Dune Where to Watch
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Director Denis Villeneuve Release Date October 22, 2021 Cast Dave Bautista , Rebecca Ferguson , Sharon Duncan-Brewster , Jason Momoa , David Dastmalchian , Stephen McKinley Henderson , Stellan Skarsgård , Charlotte Rampling , Chang Chen , Oscar Isaac , Zendaya , Javier Bardem , Timothée Chalamet , Josh Brolin Expand
Frank Herbert’s Dune is one of the most popular and influential sci-fi novels of all time. Published in 1965, Dune was an immediate sensation, but it soon got the reputation of being an unfilmable novel. Although sci-fi fans were keen to see a movie adaptation, nobody wanted one that wouldn’t capture the scope of Herbert’s story. David Lynch’s 1984 version was the first movie adaptation to get off the ground, but it wasn’t universally loved.
After several failed attempts to adapt
Dune
, and one version that left many fans unsatisfied, Denis Villeneuve’s version was heralded as a new dawn.
After several failed attempts to adapt Dune, and one version that left many fans unsatisfied, Denis Villeneuve’s version was heralded as a new dawn. The director had already shown his flair for sci-fi spectacle with Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, and his Dune came with an exciting cast. Book sales skyrocketed once more, and Dune rose to the occasion. The first movie grossed over $400 million and won six Oscars. 2024’s Dune: Part Two was an even bigger box office winner.
3 The Dark Knight (2008)
Heath Ledger’s Death Generated Even More Interest In The Dark Knight
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The Dark Knight Where to Watch
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Director Christopher Nolan Release Date July 18, 2008 Cast Christian Bale , Heath Ledger , Michael Caine , Morgan Freeman , Nestor Carbonell , Ritchie Coster , Cillian Murphy , Chin Han , Gary Oldman , Eric Roberts , William Fichtner , Aaron Eckhart , Maggie Gyllenhaal , David Dastmalchian , Anthony Michael Hall Expand
After 1997’s Batman & Robin disappointed fans, there was some trepidation heading into 2005’s Batman Begins. Christopher Nolan’s grounded approach to the character revolutionized the superhero genre, revitalizing interest in Batman. Christian Bale’s performance as the Caped Crusader was also praised, so fans were excited to see him going up against the Joker in The Dark Knight.
People were watching
The Dark Knight
with particular interest in Ledger’s Joker, and he blew people’s expectations away.
While people already had high hopes for The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger’s tragic passing a few months before the movie’s release made people even more interested. His casting was met with skepticism at first, but as soon as The Dark Knight was released, the doubters were silenced. Ledger’s performance was one final example of his incredible talent. People were watching The Dark Knight with particular interest in him, and he blew people’s expectations away.
2 Heat (1995)
Fans Were Excited To See Two Iconic Actors Teaming Up
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Heat Where to Watch
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Director Michael Mann Release Date December 15, 1995 Cast Al Pacino , Robert De Niro , Val Kilmer , Jon Voight , Tom Sizemore , Diane Venora
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino starred together in The Godfather Part II, but the actors didn’t share the screen again for over 20 years. Despite appearing in similar genres throughout the 1970s, ’80s and early ’90s, De Niro and Pacino developed into two of the best actors in Hollywood entirely separately. This meant that there was a lot of excitement when it was announced they were teaming up for Michael Mann’s Heat.
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino starred together in
The Godfather Part II,
but the actors didn’t share the screen again for over 20 years.
The heist thriller did not disappoint, delivering plenty of pulsating action to go with its gripping story. More importantly, fans got to see De Niro and Pacino instantly developing a palpable, electric chemistry. Whether they are engaged in a shootout on the streets of L.A. or simply having a quiet conversation in a diner, the duo are utterly absorbing together. Rumors are circulating that Michael Mann’s Heat 2 will star Adam Driver and Austin Butler in the same roles.
1 Casino Royale (2006)
Daniel Craig’s First Bond Movie Built Even More Hype Than Usual
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Casino Royale Where to Watch
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Director Martin Campbell Release Date November 14, 2006 Cast Daniel Craig , Eva Green , Mads Mikkelsen , judi dench , Jeffrey Wright , Giancarlo Giannini
Each new actor who takes on the role of James Bond has to shoulder the hefty weight of the franchise’s high expectations. Daniel Craig’s first movie as 007 produced even more excitement than usual. Critics and fans were wondering how the Bond franchise could move into the 21st century, after other action movies had left its style looking outdated. Casino Royale promised a bright new future.
Daniel Craig’s first
Bond
movie was a massive success for the franchise, paying homage to the franchise’s traditions while delivering a grittier style of action.
Daniel Craig’s first Bond movie was a massive success for the franchise, paying homage to the franchise’s traditions while delivering a grittier style of action. Craig’s version of Bond looks typically dapper in a suit and has a penchant for martinis and beautiful women, but he is introduced with a brutal fight to the death. The 21st century Bond arrived in style, but hype is now building for the upcoming Bond 26, as the franchise once again finds itself at a crossroads.