‘War of the Worlds’ Remake Dominates 2026 Raspberry Awards, Winning Worst Picture

The 2025 remake of War of the Worlds, starring Ice Cube, was the most awarded film at the 2026 Golden Raspberry Awards, receiving five prizes, including Worst Picture.

The film, which was released directly on streaming platforms, also received awards for Worst Actor (Ice Cube), Worst Director (Rich Lee), Worst Screenplay, and Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel. The screenplay category referenced the film’s loose adaptation of H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel, a foundational work of science fiction that has inspired numerous film and television versions over the past century.

The Golden Raspberry Awards, commonly known as the Razzies, are presented annually as a satirical counterpoint to the Academy Awards and focus on films that received a largely negative critical reception.

Upon release in 2025, War of the Worlds received overwhelmingly negative reviews. At one point, the film held a zero percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, a rare result indicating unanimous negative reviews among registered critics at the time.

Reviewers frequently cited the film’s production approach, writing, and performances among its weaknesses. Some also compared it unfavorably to other poorly received films that later developed cult audiences, suggesting this version did not demonstrate the same unintended appeal that sometimes helps critically unsuccessful films find long-term audiences.

The film was nominated in nearly every major Razzie category and lost only one. In the Worst Screen Combo category, the nominated pairing of Ice Cube and the film’s remote filming setup lost to the ensemble of digitally created dwarfs featured in the recent live-action adaptation of Snow White. That film also received the Worst Supporting Actor award, which was collectively attributed to the CGI characters.

Elsewhere, Rebel Wilson was named Worst Actress for Bride Hard, while Scarlet Rose Stallone received Worst Supporting Actress for her role in Gunslingers.

H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds has been adapted multiple times, most notably in the 2005 film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise, which was both commercially successful and generally well-received by critics.

The 2025 version represents one of several recent attempts by studios to revisit established intellectual property for streaming audiences, reflecting the broader industry trend of relying on recognizable titles.

Following its performance at the Razzie Awards, the film is likely to be remembered primarily for its critical reception rather than its contribution to the long history of adaptations based on Wells’ novel.