20 Short Films That Were Turned Into Hit Movies

Here are 20 examples: The following short films inspired some hugely popular movies, and even helped launch the careers of directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, Sam Raimi, and George Lucas. (You might know Lucas – he later produced *Howard the Duck*!) Keep in mind that while these are considered ‘shorts,’ some run for almost 40 minutes.

Tron: Ares Just Lost Over $100M

Disney’s *Tron: Ares* is projected to lose around $132.7 million. This calculation comes after it was revealed the film’s actual budget was $220 million – about $40 million more than originally reported. The film had a disappointing opening weekend and earned just $11.1 million during its second weekend. With ticket sales declining rapidly, *Ares* is expected to finish with a total of around $160 million, significantly less than the $410 million earned by *Tron: Legacy* in 2010.