Fantastic Four 2 Removed from Release Schedule After First Movie Flops

Considering the large number of superhero movies that have been released in the past few years, it's not surprising that one or two have failed to find an audience. The big flop this year was Fantastic Four, and now it looks as if the sequel is no longer happening.

Fox originally had the second Fantastic Four scheduled for a June 9, 2017 release, a date that was announced before the first movie was even out. In September, producer Simon Kinberg told MTV News that he was "really focused" on the sequel, but the financial loss suffered by the movie has clearly led the studio to officially remove it from their release slate.

Even before the first movie hit cinemas in August, it was the subject of negative publicity. There were rumors of behind-the-scenes conflict between director Josh Trank and producers, plus extensive reshoots, and there were virtually no advance screenings for critics. Reviews were scathing, and Trank himself issued a quickly deleted tweet that suggested that this version of the film was not his.

The movie has to date made just under $167 million at the worldwide box office, and with a production budget of $120 million, it stands to make a considerable loss for Fox. Earlier this month, the studio's executive chairman Rupert Murdoch singled out the film's poor performance as a key factor in the company's lower-than-predicted 2015 revenue.