Hollywood budgets can sometimes be shocking. Highly paid actors, huge special effect budgets and massive production costs mean that some movies can be extraordinarily expensive to make.
With so many blockbuster movies having such high budgets we wanted to explore some of the most expensive out of them all. Below you can find our top ten list of the most expensive movies.
Top 10 most expensive movies
10 – Justice League
It’s not surprising that superhero movies are some of the most expensive to make. They often have star studded casts with lots of special effects and elaborate sets. Justice League releasing in 2017 was no different. This highly anticipated DC adaptation had a budget of $300 million. During its initial release, the fan reactions to the flick were actually quite negative, and although it grossed over $500 million, many fans were upset with the adaptation.
This outlook changed when it was revealed that Zack Snyder, had actually a completely different vision for the film. Once this news broke amongst fans, a campaign began to release the Zack Snyder cut. This was a great breakout success on HBO Max – perhaps Warner Bros should have listened to their directors’ original vision to sell more at the box office.
#9 – Avengers Infinity War
In the final showdown against Thanos, everyone was really excited about Avengers: Infinity War. With an initial budget of $325 million the movie was a huge success, grossing over $2 billion at the box office.This film completely shifted things for Marvel and had been built up over the years. Fans were even more excited for the follow up on Avengers: End Game which was released as a successor and finds its way further down this list of the most expensive movies.
#8 Fast X
The Fast and Furious franchise has never been afraid to spend high budgets. For their tenth film, they had a particularly large amount to play with. As the latest film in the franchise, releasing in 2023 with a budget of $340 million, Fast X had mixed reviews. Many wondered if the franchise might be running out of fresh ideas, but it did have some success with die-hard fans.
#7 Avatar: Way of the Water
The original Avatar film was a huge moment for box offices. Released in 2009, Avatar is one of the highest grossing movies of all time with $3 billion received at the box office.
When the sequel was announced, there was a huge amount of excitement for Avatar: Way of Water. Released just last year in 2022, the budget for Avatar: Way of the Water, was $350 million.
#6 – Avengers: Endgame
As a follow up to Infinity War, Avengers: End Game had an even bigger budget of $356 million. Much like the previous film, box office gross was high for this movie amongst the anticipation. Now, Marvel studies keeps releasing huge blockbuster movies and it shows no sign of slowing down.
#5 – Avengers: Age of Ultron
It’s surprising that, despite releasing earlier in the franchise, Avengers: Age of Ultron actually had a very similar budget to the Endgame. Avengers: Age of Ultron was released in 2015 with a budget of $365 million.
With many Marvel films in this list, the studios are clearly not shy about spending huge budgets and it seems to generally pay off for them at the box office. They keep making more, and there are many upcoming anticipated Marvel movies to come.
#4 – Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Pirates of the Caribbean is another movie franchise which is known for its huge budgets. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides released with a budget of $379 million. Following on from the success of Avatar, many film goers were excited by the use of 3D in this film back in 2011. Since then, there have been some great sequels including Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge.
#3 – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars films have always been ahead of the game with filmography and concepts which is why they have built a strong franchise with a huge loyal fanbase. With a whopping budget of $416 million, this film revolutionised the franchise for modern audiences.
Some reviewers were not a huge fan of this end to the Skywalker saga, but it still grossed an impressive $1 billion at the box office.
#2 – Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
After the huge success of the reboot of the Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World, many were anticipating the follow up. Releasing in 2018, the sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had a huge budget of $432 million. A large reason for high budgets is likely because of the extensive special effects needed for the film.
What is the most expensive movie ever made?
Sitting at number 1 on the list of most expensive movies ever made is Star Wars: The Force Awakens which was released in 2015. The film had a budget of $447 million although some reports say even higher than this. With a huge cast of actors, including old and new, and lots of special effects, this Star Wars iteration was bound to need such a high budget.
Fans of the franchise responded well to it and it grossed over $2 billion during its release. More shows and movies continued to be made in the franchise, extending the breadth of budgets spent and different Star Wars movies and TV-shows to watch.
Get film recommendations from Ready Steady Cut
Just because films have a high budget, it does not mean they are always going to be a breakout success. If one thing is for sure, nothing is ever certain with big blockbuster movies.
Whether you are looking for the next big blockbuster movie or the next indie flick, Ready Steady Cut is here with the latest movie and TV show reviews. By using our discovery tool you can find the best new films to watch in cinemas and stream on platforms including Netflix, Disney+ and more.
