The Coneheads is considered by many to be a comedy classic and one of the better TV-to-film adaptations that spawned out of Saturday Night Live. However, many do not know that film was considered a flop at the box office.
But, while The Coneheads underperformed at first, it is far from the biggest SNL flop. Several SNL sketches were turned into movies, but not all of them have been hits or cult classics like The Coneheads. Some SNL movies bombed so bad they did not even break $1 million at the box office.
10 Flop: It's Pat - $60,000
Pat was a recurring character on SNL played by Julia Sweeny. The bit was that no one could figure out Pat's gender, and every question that they tried to ask to get Pat to share their gender was met with a comical answer that sidestepped the issue unintentionally. Pat was a fairly popular character, but they were not the most iconic to come out of SNL. Also, the character is problematic by modern standards, as the sketches mock non-binary people. Despite having other talented comedians in the film, like Dave Foley from The Kids In The Hall. The movie made a measly $60,000.
9 Flop: Stuart Saves His Family - $900,000
Stuart Saves His Family stars Al Franken as his SNL character Stuart, the 12-Step Program Sponsor. The movie handles the very dark subject of addiction in a weirdly lighthearted, and some would say half-hearted, manner. Oddly enough, some movie critics, like Ebert and Robert, praised the movie and Franken has said he is very proud of it. Franken has retired from comedy and is now a politician. He briefly served as a Minnesota senator before resigning after accusations of sexual harassment.
8 Flop: MacGruber - $9 million
This film attained cult classic status, but it tanked at the box office when it first came out. It did eventually spawn a spin-off series on Peacock. Why the film flopped in theaters is a mystery. However, its star Will Forte got the last laugh – not only is MacGruber a popular cult classic, Forte is now acting in high-profile Oscar-nominated films, like 2014's Nebraska.
7 Flop: The Ladies Man - $13 million
Tim Meadows tried to bring his SNL character Leon Phelps to the big screen in 2000, but it was a disaster. Audiences found it hard to empathize with a character who goes around getting women to cheat on their husbands, and the film relied heavily on gross-out humor. The film lost millions as it was budgeted for $24 million.
6 Flop: Blues Brothers 2000 - $14 million
While The Blues Brothers is a comedy classic starring John Belushi and Dan Akroyd, the sequel Blues Brothers 2000, which was made 20 years after the original and starred John Belushi's brother, did not fare well. The film still featured several of the iconic singers from the original film, like Aretha Franklin. But it only made half of the budget at the box office, the film was made for $28 million and just barely made $14 million.
5 Flop (At First): Coneheads - $21 million
The Coneheads were one of the most popular, and are one of the oldest, SNL sketches, and the film is rather popular today. At the box office, for some reason, it fell $9 million short of its original $32 million budget. However, the film found a second life when VHS and home videos came out, allowing the film to become a popular rental at stores like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video. Vice even said this of the movie, "Funnier and fresher than its reputation would have you think, the film is a classic immigration story in the vein of The Godfather Part II."
- Fun fact: Star Dan Akyroyd is huge beliver in aliens and UFOs.
4 Hit: Superstar - $30 million
While it was not the first hit SNL film, it was one of the more popular to come out of the 1990s, and it was one of the few times the public saw Molly Shannon as the lead in a film. Shannon for the most part has done cameos or supporting parts on both TV and film, but Superstar lets the world see the full range of her talent as she plays the notoriously awkward Mary Katherine Gallagher. The film's budget was $15 million.
3 Hit: A Night At The Roxbury - $30 million
Some were skeptical that the series of sketches that never had any dialogue could be made into a film, but Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell proved them wrong. The sketches on the show just feature three dorky club guys bobbing their heads to the song "What Is Love" by Haddaway as they go through a series of misadventures through the night, never saying a word and never stopping their head bobs. The film was one of Will Ferrell's first movies and arguably was the launch of his now-successful movie career.
2 Hit: The Blues Brothers - $115 million
The Blues Brothers has the privilege of being the first SNL movie. It is also one of the most popular and successful. It made millions more than its original $27 million budget, and it is widely considered to not just be a great SNL movie but one of the greatest comedies of all time. The film also features several iconic R&B and blues stars like John Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles.
1 Hit: Wayne's World 1 & 2 - $230 million combined
Wayne's World is the most profitable SNL film so far. The movie launched Mike Myers's film career and soon led him to multi-million dollar franchises like Shrek. Wayne's World made over $180 million, and even though Wayne's World 2 only made $48 million, it was still made a profit. Talents in both films include names like Christopher Walken, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrera, and a cameo from Charlton Heston.
