Cue the Jaw Drop: These Are the Most Expensive Movies Ever Made
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What do you think of when you hear the word "Hollywood?" Is it glitz, glamour, and huge blockbuster movies? Or is it your favorite actor like George Clooney and Barbie Margot Robbie? Whatever comes to mind first, there's a 99.9% chance that it all relates back to $$$ because that's showbiz, baby. As one of the most expensive industries in the world, a film's budget can easily be the difference between a "straight-to-streaming" flick and a successful blockbuster hit. And if you've ever wondered how much money movies actually cost to make (bc, same), we did some digging to find the most expensive movies of all! damn! time!
Spoiler alert: we love a good rom-com and thriller just as much as the next person, but as it turns out, action movies are where the money's really at! Filmmakers of some of our favorite action-packed films didn't spare expenses when it came to creating the universes, superheroes, and dinosaurs that we love to watch. To give you an idea of just how much dinero we're talking here, we rounded up the 10 most expensive movies ever made. From the iconic intergalactic Star Wars franchise to Marvel's Avengers, the following movies spent BIG MONEY all for the sake of us, the viewers (cue the awws). So, go ahead and indulge in a little luxuriously pricey movie marathon. After all, these filmmakers have!
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Cost: $300 million
Tied with Justice League and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End for the 10th most expensive movie ever, this installment of the iconic Star Wars franchise grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide. Yep, that made it the highest-grossing film of the year. It follows Luke Skywalker and a new woman he encounters who shows strong signs of the Force. Even with the lowest budget of the trilogy, audiences still enjoyed its visual effects and storyline. It just goes to show ya that a big budget doesn't automatically make it the best.
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Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Cost: $325 million
Marvel did a number with this one! The box office hit managed to bring every narrative from over a decade of superheroes together in the name of stopping Thanos. As one of our personal faves on the list, the Avengers must try to stop Thanos from collecting all six Infinity Stones to wipe half of the universe from existence. The onscreen battle grossed over $2 billion (yes, billion!) worldwide, but that number was later rightfully topped by the sequel, Avengers: Endgame.
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Fast X (2023)
Cost: $340 million
The Fast and Furious franchise continues to drop bangers even two decades after the original movie release. As the 10th installment, Fast X made over $700 million at the global box office, but with its large budget, there's a good chance it didn't see much of a profit. Tbh, as long as Vin Diesel's character is seeking revenge on the new villain (played by Jason Momoa), there are no signs of the franchise coming to an end anytime soon
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Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Cost: $350 million
Avatar: The Way of Water is visual proof that a hefty price tag can make all of the difference. Filmmaker James Cameron used a revolutionary method to create the movie's stunning underwater scenes and insanely detailed action sequences that make it look as if there's an actual camera filming the fictional world of Pandora. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. And, as the third highest-grossing film ever (right behind Avengers: End Game and the first Avatar), it's pretty clear that the money used to make the movie went to good use.
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Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Cost: $356 million
Fans bombarded theaters when the final installment of the Avengers hit the big screen. The three-hour-long saga brought in over $2.7 billion internationally, with its star-studded cast all on one screen and one of the biggest battle scenes ever filmed. Not to mention, the ending tugged at fans' heartstrings (IYKYK), but at least that heartbreak was all worth it because it once held the title as the highest-grossing movie...before Avatar came into the picture, ofc.
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Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Cost: $365 million
Yet another Avengers movie on the list? Who's surprised? The movies are amazing, and the impressive effects will make you forget that almost everything you see on your screen isn't even real. Although it's the most expensive of the Avengers franchise, this one didn't do as well at the box office as the others. But, hey, the CGI robots aren't going to pay for themselves!
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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Cost: $379 million
As the fourth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, this expensive movie (which cost nearly $400 mill!!!) didn't perform as expected when it finally hit theaters. It follows Jack Sparrow and his ex-lover as they arrive aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the notorious Blackbeard and his zombie crew. The film made $241 million domestically, and once you do the math, it's easy to see that the flop was a sure sign to end the Pirates franchise here. Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow will always be iconic, though!
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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Cost: $416 million
Quite a lot went into the production of this final installment of the recent Star Wars trilogy. Between the tragic loss of Carrie Fisher and a major casting change, the film was barely able to make a profit. Although it gained over $1 billion at the box office, it still underperformed and marks the last movie of the Star Wars franchise to be released in theaters. No worries, though, because fans can still experience the Force with Disney+'s many Star Wars series.
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Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Cost: $432 million
Three years after the destruction of Jurassic World, Owen and Claire return to an island to save the remaining dinosaurs from a soon-to-erupt volcano. As the second installment in the Jurassic Park trilogy, critics believed that the movie fell short. With a huge budget dedicated to CGI, explosions, and, of course, dinosaurs, the plot was questionable, but it managed to pass the $1 billion landmark in regard to box office earnings.
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Cost: $533 million
As the first of the Star Wars films released by Walt Disney Studios, the production spared no expense when filming The Force Awakens. As the most expensive film e-v-e-r made, the high budget was matched by the box office earnings at a whopping $2 billion. With on-screen appearances from Harrison Ford as Han Solo and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, the nostalgic characters were a driving force for fans and further solidified why the Star Wars franchise remains one of the most successful in history.
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