The spy genre can prove very fickle. The genre is in large part dominated by the James Bond franchise, and it seems like every original spy movie is compared to that seminal series. But Bond's prominent market share doesn't stop producers and filmmakers from trying their hand at new spy films.
Some of these films are incredibly successful, and they may even launch franchises of their own. Others prove far less successful and flounder in a flurry of poor reviews and predictable comparisons to the Bond series. The success or failure of a spy film is wildly unpredictable, and the box office results always fascinating to consider.
Broke Box Office: Skyfall (2012)
For the sake of variety, only one James Bond film will be included on this list. And that Bond film is Skyfall. For some reason, Skyfall really struck a chord with mainstream audiences. Maybe it was the quality of the movie (and the accompanying strong reviews), or maybe it was Adele's stellar theme song that sold millions of digital copies. It remains the only James Bond film to gross over $1 billion worldwide, finishing its run with $1.1 billion. At the time, Skyfall was the seventh highest-grossing movie of all time.
Flopped: Tenet (2020)
Tenet was Christopher Nolan's typically unique spin on the spy genre, and what a spin it proved to be. Unfortunately, Tenet was released in the midst of a global pandemic, and no one went to see it. Releasing Tenet in the summer of 2020 proved an enormous risk, and it served as the barometer for Hollywood's release schedule going forward. Unfortunately, the experiment did not pay off, and Hollywood backed off further wide releases. To date, Tenet has grossed just $363 million - a paltry amount, considering the massive $200 million budget.
Broke Box Office: Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Like Skyfall, Mission: Impossible - Fallout will serve as the only Mission: Impossible film on this list. And, like Skyfall, Fallout proved an enormous success with mainstream audiences. Most of the Mission: Impossible films do incredibly well, but Fallout proved a particular success. It proved the most successful film of the series, opening to $61.2 million and going on to gross an astounding $791 million worldwide. Both were series highs, and both proved that the series still had a lot of gas left in the tank.
Flopped: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Based on an old NBC spy drama from the '60s, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was director Guy Ritchie's excellent foray into the spy genre. The movie was incredibly stylish and "cool," and both Armie Hammer and Henry Cavill proved commanding leads as American and Soviet spies.
Period movies do not come cheap, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was no exception, having been produced for $75 million. Unfortunately, the movie grossed just $108 million, making it a certified box office bomb.
Broke Box Office: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Kingsman: The Secret Service is like the goofy James Bond films of old. It was intentionally ludicrous and certainly didn't take itself very seriously, but it also served as a genuinely captivating spy movie that was filled with spectacular stunts and set pieces. No one really expected this film to do well, but strong word of mouth helped make Kingsman a hit. It opened to $36 million and went on to gross $414 million worldwide - far exceeding its relatively small $80-90 million budget.
Flopped: Survivor (2015)
Survivor is what audiences would get if Pierce Brosnan was still playing James Bond. Or, at least one of the Bond villains. The movie stars a 62-year-old Brosnan as a renowned assassin named The Watchmaker and Milla Jovovich as a traumatized DSS agent named Katherine Abbott. Despite the $20 million budget, Survivor was given a very limited release in theaters, and it ended up grossing just $3.8 million.
Broke Box Office: Atomic Blonde (2017)
Atomic Blonde didn't exactly set the box office on fire, but it performed exceptionally well for an original action movie in 2017. The movie stars Charlize Theron as an MI6 field agent named Lorraine Broughton who is sent to Berlin to investigate the mysterious death of a fellow agent.
Despite opening fourth at the box office (with $18.3 million), Atomic Blonde had strong legs and finished its worldwide run with $100 million. A strong success, considering the movie's $30 million budget.
Flopped: Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)
A different sort of spy movie, Hitman: Agent 47 is based on the popular Hitman video games by IO Interactive. It stars Rupert Friend as Agent 47, a genetically enhanced assassin who works for the International Contracts Agency - an agency comprised of top-secret assassins who target high-profile individuals. Unfortunately, the movie earned exceptionally poor reviews and grossed just $22 million in the domestic market. It performed slightly better in the international market, resulting in an $82 million worldwide gross on a $35 million budget.
Broke Box Office: The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
The Bourne movies proved incredibly popular, and they made Matt Damon a surprising (and surprisingly convincing) action star. The Bourne Identity grossed $214 million in 2002, and The Bourne Supremacy $290 million in 2004. All paled in comparison to The Bourne Ultimatum. Serving as the third and final movie of the original Damon trilogy, The Bourne Ultimatum opened with $69 million and grossed $444 million worldwide on a $110 million budget.
Flopped: Haywire (2011)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Haywire was a spy action thriller with mixed martial artist Gina Carano in the lead role of black ops operative Mallory Kane. Kane is double-crossed by her own employers, and she seeks revenge on those who betrayed her. Despite the somewhat derivative storyline, Haywire earned strong reviews from critics. Unfortunately, it failed to find much of an audience. The movie opened to just $8 million and went on to gross $33 million on a $23 million budget. Luckily, the film didn't ruin Carano's acting career, as she later went on to star as Cara Dune on The Mandalorian.