Touted as the biggest flop in Hollywood history, Foodfight! holds the unfortunate title of the most catastrophic animated film ever made. Despite a massive production budget of $65 million and over a decade in development, the film earned just $120,000 upon release — a staggering 99.8% loss that effectively ended careers and has been called the worst movie of the 21st century.
The troubled project began in 2002 when Lawrence Kasanoff, a first-time filmmaker with no prior directing experience, announced his plan to produce a groundbreaking animated film. The cast was star-studded — Charlie Sheen, Hilary Duff, Eva Longoria, Wayne Brady, Christopher Lloyd, and Larry Miller all signed on. Funded by Kasanoff’s company Threshold Entertainment and South Korea’s Natural Image with $25 million, the remainder of the budget came from crowdfunding and loans.
But things quickly spiraled. Kasanoff claimed the film’s hard drives were stolen — a statement denied by his own crew. As the production dragged on, it underwent several animation style changes and missed multiple release dates in 2003 and 2005. Key investors, including major brands like M&M’s and Cheetos, eventually backed out. Even a later deal with Lionsgate collapsed in 2007.
In 2011, the film was auctioned off for just $2.5 million after the production team defaulted on their loans. Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company took over, quickly finishing and releasing the film in 2012 through limited distribution and home video. The outcome was dismal — earning just $120K against the original $65 million budget.
Critical reception was no better. Reviewers described Foodfight! as nearly unwatchable. Mental Floss listed it among the worst films ever, while The Daily Telegraph called it the most terrible animated movie for children. Collider branded it the worst fantasy film of the 2010s and the most dreadful film of the 21st century overall. Hollywood News critic Kate Valentine slammed it as “by far the crappiest piece of crap I have ever had the misfortune to watch.”
Over the years, Foodfight! has become an infamous example of how a film, no matter how big its budget or cast, can collapse under poor direction, mismanagement, and production chaos.
