It is no secret that Hollywood spends millions, maybe billions, of dollars a year on the movies it makes. Old classic films like Cleopatra were the epitome of expensive back in the day. Still, film budgets have skyrocketed with the advancement in technology and computer-generated imagery (CGI). A vast budget can be a gamble, but if you’re lucky, the film’s performance at the Box Office may pay off – Barbie (2023) earned more than a billion!
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
The first movie from the Star Wars franchise, The Force Awakens, was released by Walt Disney Studios with a humongous budget of $533 million. They marketed the film as a nostalgic reminder of the original trilogy. Star Wars fans went wild for the movie as it focused on the plot of the return of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). Amidst significant backlash from hard-core fans, this movie brought new hope for the franchise. Â
2. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is Hollywood's second most expensive movie, costing around $516 million. Look at the Jurassic World franchise. This movie may be the least popular one, especially among the rebooted trilogy. Starring Chris Pratt as Owen, the film was interesting enough to catch viewers’ attention, so the sequel earned more at the box office. It crossed the $1 billion mark despite all doubts!
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Star Wars is already a popularly acclaimed franchise, and the production spent a lot of money to meet expectations. Despite having a budget of over $400 million, the production faced multiple setbacks. First was the unfortunate loss of Carrie Fisher and an unforeseen change of cast. The film did not carry the legacy of its predecessor (The Last Jedi). Despite all obstacles, it earned more than a billion at the box office—thanks to its dedicated fans.
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Based on the spectacular success of the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Disney planned to produce a fourth film with a budget of almost $410 million. The plan was to lengthen the story of Captain Jack Sparrow(played by Johnny Depp). Unfortunately, critics claimed the movie was unnecessary, and the new plot added nothing to the original plot. Despite that, it earned a billion! The film inspired a fifth movie, which concluded the beloved series.Â
5. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Forget Avengers: Endgame because, unexpectedly, Age of Ultron is the most expensive film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite spending more than $300 million, it failed to carry the hype of its predecessor, though the film did become the highest-grossing film of all time. Age of Ultron is also well-known for its launch of a fan-favorite character, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen.
6. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Endgame may not have been the most expensive movie in the MCU. Still, with a budget of $356 million, the film successfully brought together dozens of Marvel superheroes in one film. It created some of the best battle scenes in cinema history as fans saw the conclusion of heroes they had been following for decades. The emotional attachment fans experienced with this release made it one of the highest-grossing films ever!
7. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Avatar: The Way of Water overtook Avengers: Endgame as the highest-grossing film ever. The director, James Cameron, faced critics who claimed the film was less impactful than the previous ones had been. Still, its breathtaking underwater cinematography and action scenes propelled its success. It created enough buzz that fans drove to watch the sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, in cinemas, which also won an Academy Award for Best Picture.Â
8. Fast X (2023)
With a budget of more than $300 million and an earning of only $700 million at the box office, the movie could have done better in the profit area. Fast X is a part of the Fast and Furious franchise, and its release confirmed that the franchise is not over; there’s more to come to continue the story of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa).Â
9. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
This film marked the Avengers hero's battle with Thanos, which ended in a spectacular cliffhanger. Before Avengers: Endgame, Infinity War was the film that brought together all the Marvel superheroes, from Captain America to Ironman, Spiderman, and even Doctor Strange. This unique crossover of all heroes paid off as it became the first Marvel film to cross $2 billion at the box office, while its budget was $324.1 million!
10. Justice League (2017)
With a budget of $300 million, Justice League was supposed to compete with The Avengers' success. Sadly, this DCEU installment failed to reach the mark due to many issues during its production, including refilming parts of the film to overcome the harsh critique Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice had previously received. But fans had already had a terrible experience with the movie and were disheartened even further; thus, the film flopped.Â
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