The Big Picture

• Hollywood's most stunning films are often the result of incredible budgets, with classic epics like Ben-Hur and Cleopatra rivaling today's blockbusters.
• The success of a film is no longer solely determined by its box office performance, but also by factors such as marketing campaigns and performance on streaming platforms.
• The “make or break” point for some films has become more complicated in recent years.

Hollywood has a history of indulging itself, and many of the most stunning films of all-time are the result of incredible budgets. With adjustments for inflation, classic historical epics like Ben-Hur and Cleopatra are just as pricey as the blockbusters of today. A film’s budget and box office performance can change the way that the industry operates and inspire new trends. In the case of Ben-Hur, Hollywood saw a future in epic storytelling with elaborate sets and set pieces; in the case of Cleopatra, the film’s failure marked an end to this fruitful period of movie stars and signified the dawn of the New Hollywood era.

The “make or break” point for some films has become more complicated in recent years. Between the costs paid to theater owners, the price tag on the marketing campaign, and a film’s performance on physical media, VOD, and streaming can affect whether it’s seen as a “success.” Budgets tend to grow beyond their original proportions when considering the costs of reshoots, last minute editing changes, and the flexible release window. However, this year offered an example of many films that had a massive budget that paid off; Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie were released to critical acclaim, and each made more than $1 billion worldwide.

Here are the top 10 most expensive movies ever made.

10 ‘Justice League’ (2017)

$300 million

Production issues tend to dominate the most expensive films ever, and the story behind the $300 million Justice League is far more interesting than either version of the film. After Zack Snyder left the production, Joss Whedon effectively reshot the film in order to rebound from the critical failure of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, it seems like the previous DCEU installments had burned fans too hard, as Justice League failed to become a critical and financial success on the level of The Avengers. $300 million wasn’t enough to make Henry Cavill’s digitally erased mustache convincing.

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9 ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)

$324.1 million

Avengers: Infinity War somehow did the impossible and brought together a decade of storytelling into a coherent narrative that balanced all the heroes. The hefty $324.1 million price tag for uniting these heroes paid off, and Infinity War became the first Marvel film to pass the $2 billion box office threshold. The film's now iconic ending, which saw the heroes losing their first battle against Thanos (Josh Brolin), proved to be a shocking cliffhanger that generated increased anticipation for the next installment.

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8 ‘Fast X’ (2023)

$325 million

Despite crossing the $700 million mark at the global box office, the excessive budget for Fast X means that it may not have actually been profitable. The shocking ending of Fast X indicated that The Fast and the Furious franchise wouldn't be ending anytime soon, as Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) still needs to get his revenge on the new villain, Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa), by the time that the series reaches its conclusion. However, the diminishing returns of the Fast franchise suggest that the series may have overstayed its welcome.

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7 ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ (2022)

$350 million

Despite criticisms that James Cameron's Avatar failed to leave a cultural impact after becoming the highest grossing film of all-time, the second installment in the series proved that audiences were still willing to go on another Pandoran adventure. Avatar: The Way of Water is another film where you can see the results of the price tag on screen; the stunning underwater photography and epic action sequences somehow managed to top the visual achievements of its predecessor. Avatar: The Way of Water was also a critical success, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

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6 ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019)

$356 million

The $356 million final film in the “Infinity Saga” brought back dozens of heroes for a three-hour-long epic that featured time hopping, cameos, and one of the biggest battle scenes in cinema history. Beyond its critical acclaim, Avengers: Endgame provoked emotional responses from viewers that had lived with these heroes for over a decade. Endgame managed to briefly become the highest grossing film of all-time before Avatar topped it upon its re-release. Given the critical backlash that Marvel Studios has received for Phases Four and Five, the unique success of Avengers: Endgame stands out even more in comparison.

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5 ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ (2015)

$365 million

Surprisingly, the most expensive film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far was 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron at $365 million. Although it received generally favorable reviews and still became one of the highest grossing films of all-time, Age of Ultron failed to top the earning and fan enthusiasm of its predecessor. While James Spader's Ultron is not regarded as one of the best MCU villains, the film marked the debut of the fan-favorite character Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen).

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4 ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ (2011)

$410 million

Following the massive success of the original trilogy, Disney quickly planned a fourth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise — and a $410 million one at that — offering more of Johnny Depp’s iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow. While the general consensus was that Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was an overindulgent mess that stretched the narrative, it didn't fail on a financial level and became yet another film in the series to cross the $1 billion box office mark. However, good will for the series didn't last, as the fifth installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, was a critical and financial disappointment that effectively marked the conclusion of the series.

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3 ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ (2019)

$416 million

Where to start with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? The production of the final installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy was hit with setbacks at the very beginning due to the tragic loss of Carrie Fisher, and swapped Colin Trevorrow out for J.J. Abrams in a last minute change. Unfortunately, The Rise of Skywalker was a major blunder that squashed the inventiveness of The Last Jedi. While the film still managed to cross the box office $1 billion mark, it’s notably the last theatrical Star Wars film that we’ve seen in theaters. The underwhelming reaction to The Rise of Skywalker may have inspired Disney to put more emphasis on Star Wars streaming shows instead of theatrical films.

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2 2. ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ (2018)

$516 million

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom may be regarded as the weakest film in the Jurassic Park franchise, the second installment in the rebooted trilogy took the saga in a darker direction and brought dinosaurs outside the park itself. Director J.A. Bayona put a greater emphasis on horror and suspense, and beefed up the roles of the new characters Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) that had been introduced in 2015's Jurassic World. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom managed to generate enough enthusiasm for the series that its sequel, Jurassic World Dominion, also crossed the $1 billion mark. The films together cost a reported $844.7 million, with $516 million attributed to Fallen Kingdom, according to Forbes.

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1 ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ (2015)

$533 million

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the first Star Wars film released by Walt Disney Studios, and immediately proved that the acquisition of Lucasfilm had been a success. Despite a massive budget that exceeded $500 million, The Force Awakens's marketing campaign emphasized nostalgia for the original Star Wars trilogy with its prominent focus on the return of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). The Star Wars franchise may have suffered critical backlash within the last few years due to the overabundance of Disney+ content, but for a brief instance, The Force Awakens proved that the franchise was still worth celebrating.

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