The film industry is one of the most expensive businesses globally. It has been making more money over time, but the costs of making movies have also gone up. This is because of new technology and the higher expectations from viewers and filmmakers.
Many of the movies on this list are from recent years. Big Hollywood companies like Disney, Amazon, and Universal are buying and using smaller film companies. This is a big reason why Disney owns many of the movies on this list.
Just to be clear, the movies on this list are all finished and available for the public to watch. It doesn’t include movies that haven’t been released. The numbers in this article show how much it costs to film these movies, but it doesn’t include other expenses like promotions, ads, posters, and so on.
Since most movie companies don’t tell us the exact costs, the numbers here are estimates. Professionals in the movie industry and writers did their best to figure them out, but they might be lower than the actual costs.
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
$447 Million
Star Wars: The Force Awakens stands out on this list with the biggest budget and the highest earnings at the domestic box office. It adds a hefty sum to the already very rich Lucasfilm, which is part of Disney. Being the first movie in the latest Star Wars trilogy, people were very excited to see it.
The studio played it safe by making the plot quite similar to Star Wars: A New Hope, and even though some viewers noticed, people kept coming back to theaters. They appreciated the impressive visual effects, contributing to the movie making $936 million in domestic box office earnings.
- Directed by J. J. Abrams
- Written by Lawrence Kasdan
- Worldwide Box office $2.071 billion
2. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
$432 Million
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is one of the more absurd movies on this list. It’s the result of giving a massive CGI budget to dinosaur enthusiasts, resulting in two hours of major explosions, gigantic dinosaurs, and a plot that’s as thin as paper.
Even though the visual effects and CGI were impressive, it seemed like the studio didn’t put much thought into the weak writing. Fortunately, people always enjoy watching dinosaurs in action, so the Jurassic Park film series still has a bright future.
- Directed by J. A. Bayona
- Written by Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow
- Worldwide Box office $1.310 billion
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
$416 Million
Among the three major Star Wars money-makers on this list, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker didn’t meet the studio’s likely high expectations. Being the third and final part of the recent Star Wars trilogy, people expected a lot, and the studio was under immense pressure. In the end, the movie did reasonably well, but it only managed to eke out a small net profit.
- Directed by J. J. Abrams
- Screenplay by Chris Terrio, J. J. Abrams
- Worldwide Box office $1.077 billion
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
$379 Million
Adding to the film series but not reaching its financial target, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is one of the less successful entries. With a budget of $379 million and only earning $241 million domestically, it appears that Johnny Depp was the sole beneficiary. He earned $55 million for this particular role and a total of $265 million for all five films combined.
- Directed by Rob Marshall
- Written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
- Worldwide Box office $1.046 billion
5. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
$365 Million
Surprisingly high on this list, Avengers: Age of Ultron holds the record for the highest budget among all the Avengers ensemble films. While it didn’t match the success of the two sequels that followed, the expenses for CGI and additional visual effects are evident, particularly in the third act of the film.
- Directed by Joss Whedon
- Written by Joss Whedon
- Worldwide Box office $1.403 billion
6. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
$356 Million
Avengers: Endgame, the highly successful last chapter of the Avengers ensemble films, stands out with one of the most impressive differences between cost and income on this list. Thanks to the massive success of Avengers: Infinity War, the creative team for Endgame faced minimal financial worries. With a remarkable $858 million in domestic box office returns, every expense for this film proved to be well justified.
- Directed by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Screenplay by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Worldwide Box office $2.799 billion
7. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
$350 Million
The eagerly awaited follow-up to its visually stunning predecessor, Avatar: The Way of Water is unexpectedly not ranked high on this list because of the extensive special effects and CGI it needed.
James Cameron, along with his company, developed groundbreaking camera technology for this film, marking the beginning of a series of sequels that are expected to set new standards in both budget and box office records for years. Currently, Avatar holds the third position for the highest-grossing movie of all time.
- Directed by James Cameron
- Screenplay by Rick Jaffa, James Cameron, Amanda Silver
- Worldwide Box office $2.32 billion
8. Fast X (2023)
$340 Million
Continuing the 22-year tradition with unapologetic enthusiasm, Fast X is the 10th installment in this excessively extravagant film franchise. Despite its enormous international fanbase, the movie only manages to slightly exceed its substantial budget, earning just $146 million domestically.
Nevertheless, being a part of the mega film franchise filled with familiar names and faces, it remains undeterred and shows no signs of slowing down. The future holds uncertainty about how many more Fast and Furious movies will come our way.
- Directed by Louis Leterrier
- Screenplay by Dan Mazeau, Justin Lin
- Worldwide Box office $714.1 million
9. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
$325 Million
As the inaugural blockbuster Marvel movie with a star-studded ensemble cast on this list, Avengers: Infinity War made and continues to make a tremendous impact in the contemporary era of superhero films.
Despite the oversaturation of the market, this sequel is poised to be remembered as one of the finest and most action-packed superhero movies ever. With its gross domestic box office earnings nearly doubling its budget, the investment and hard work undoubtedly paid off.
- Directed by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Screenplay by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Worldwide Box office $2.052 billion
10. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
$300 Million
The last movie tied for 10th on this list, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the initial mention of the new Star Wars trilogy movies. With an impressive $620 million gross at the domestic box office, this installment in the series offered a lot to the general audience. Despite having the lowest budget among the three, the visual effects in the movie remain highly entertaining and thrilling to witness.
- Directed by Rian Johnson
- Written by Rian Johnson
- Worldwide Box office $1.334 billion
Summary
Making movies is a really expensive business, but it’s making a lot of money globally. Big companies like Disney are in control, and the showcased movies have different outcomes, from huge successes like Avengers: Endgame to challenges faced by films like Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Even though things are uncertain, people are excited about what’s next in the world of movies.
