The Lowest Grossing Films of 2012
 

Christian Slater film 'Playback' lowest-grossing film for 2012, earning just $264

And it appears, based on data from The Numbers and Box Office Mojo, that "Playback," starring Christian Slater, is that last-place finisher for 2012. The film, which reportedly cost $7.5 million to make, took in $252 on opening night, plus another $12 later that week, according to Movieline, for a grand total of $264.

That makes it the lowest-grossing film of the year -- but bear in mind it was just in one theater, for one week. Perhaps more embarrassing are wider-released movies that still tanked, such as "The Oogieloves in the BIG Balloon Adventure," which now holds the record as the lowest-grossing wide release of all time, according to The Huffington Post. "Oogieloves" earned $1.1 million gross, says The Numbers, averaging just $207 per theater (it opened in 2,160 theaters originally).

And "Playback's" box office return is exponentially bigger than what is largely considered the lowest-grossing American film release; in 2006, the Katherine Heigl-starring "Zyzzyx Road" showed in one theater in Texas for seven days. The $750,000 budgeted film took in $30, according to Entertainment Weekly.
In the case of "Zyzzyx," the release was always meant to be short-term -- thanks to a Screen Actors Guild agreement, low-budget films can pay their actors less if the film gets released domestically. That made the Dallas, Tex. screening a formality.

There's no indication that was the idea behind "Playback," however.
http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_ne...-just-264?lite

-Poor Christian Slater :(

and :lol: at Zyzzyx Road