10 Acclaimed Directors Who Have Never Had A Box-Office Hit

While some heavily lauded indie filmmakers such as David O. Russell and the Coen brothers have been able to blend critical and commercial success, there are plenty of other household-name directors who have yet to find box-office success.

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Surprisingly, these 10 famous directors have never had a movie go over $100 million in the U.S.

Directors who get critical acclaim but not big box-office bucks >

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Alexander Payne directs Bruce Dern on the set of "Nebraska." Todd, Newell / Paramount
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Woody Allen

Woody Allen
Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

Despite having been in the movie-making business for more than 40 years, and winning multiple Oscars in the process, Woody Allen's films have never been designed to do big in the sales department.

Films Directed: 46
Films Over 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes: 21
Closest to a Box-Office Blockbuster: "Antz" ($90.7 million)

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Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul A. Hebert/Getty Images

Ask any working film critic who's the best director today, and you'll probably get a lot of P.T. Anderson responses. Unfortunately, critics get to see his films without paying for a ticket.

Films Directed: 7
Films Over 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes: 3
Closest to a Box-Office Blockbuster: "There Will Be Blood" ($40.2 million)

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Kathryn Bigelow

kathryn bigelow

Kathryn Bigelow may have won the directing Oscar over James Cameron in 2009, but "The Hurt Locker" wasn't even in the same box-office ballpark as "Avatar."

Films Directed: 10 
Films Over 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes: 4
Closest to a Box-Office Blockbuster: "Zero Dark Thirty" ($95.7 million)

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Wes Anderson

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Rob Kim/Getty Images

Wes Anderson finally had a one of his film's reach the $100 million mark globally with his latest, "The Grand Budapest Hotel," but he's yet to come close stateside.

Films Directed: 8
Films Over 85 Percent on Rotten Tomatoes: 5
Closest to a Box-Office Blockbuster: "The Royal Tenenbaums" ($52.3 million)

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David Lynch

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Dean Hurley

David Lynch has influenced a number of today's up-and-coming filmmakers with his distinct and surreal style, but his unique vision doesn't do much to influence ticket sales.

Films Directed: 22 
Films Over 85 Percent on Rotten Tomatoes: 5
Closest to a Box-Office Blockbuster: "Dune" ($30.9 million)

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Spike Jonze

Spike Jonze
Angela Weiss/Getty Images

Spike Jonze doesn't make movies often, but when he does the film world takes notice. The outside world, no as much, unfortunately.

Films Directed: 4
Films Over 85 Percent on Rotten Tomatoes: 3
Closest to a Box-Office Blockbuster: "Where the Wild Things Are"($77.2 million)

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Alexander Payne

nebraska alexander payne
Todd, Newell / Paramount

Now it seems as if Alexander Payne gets nominated for anything he puts into theaters, even if there aren't that many people in those theaters to watch.

Films Directed: 6
Films Over 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes: 5
Closest to a Box-Office Blockbuster: "The Descendants" ($82.5 million)

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Spike Lee

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Kickstarter screencap/Spike Lee

Spike Lee has been breaking down barriers in the film industry since he started making movies, but he's yet to cross the $100 mark with any of them.

Films Directed: 33
Films Over 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes: 14
Closest to a Box-Office Blockbuster: "Inside Man" ($88.5 million)

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Sofia Coppola

sofia coppola
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images

Sofia Coppola followed in her famous father's footsteps as a director, but she's yet to follow in his box-office success. 

Films Directed: 5
Films Over 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes: 1
Closest to a Box-Office Blockbuster: "Lost in Translation" ($44.5 million)

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Richard Linklater

Richard Linklater
Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Richard Linklater has prided himself on being a Hollywood outsider, and it's translated into a stellar career, even if it hasn't translated into big money.

Films Directed: 16 
Films Over 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes: 8 
Closest to a Box-Office Blockbuster: "School of Rock" ($81.2 million)

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