Lights, camera & action! We’re ready to dive into the realm of the most expensive movies ever made. Some movies cost a lot and garnered double the production budget amount. If you’re curious about the list of most expensive movies ever made, we’ve got you covered!
In addition to being the most expensive movies, few have even made it to the rundown of the highest-grossing movies. From jaw-dropping visual spectacles to star-studded casts, the movie has made its name in the Hollywood industry!
14 Most Expensive Movies Ever
We have mentioned the budget, director, and more of these highest-budget movies in Hollywood! Let’s get into it.
1. Star Wars- The Force Awakens (2015) – $447 Million:
- IMDB Rating: 7.8
- Box Office: $2.071 Billion
- Directed By: J. J. Abrams
- Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, and Andy Serkis
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a science fiction movie that follows the story of a new order that threatens to destroy the New Republic. The movie is set thirty years after the return of the Jedi. It’s one of the most expensive movies ever made. With a production budget of $447 million, the movie garnered around $2 billion.
The critics gave this movie excellent reviews and complimented it as action-packed with new and old faces. The movie broke multiple box records and became one of the highest-grossing films of 2015 and more. Star Wars: The Force Awakens even won several nominations, including best film editing, best sound editing, and more.
2. Jurassic World- Fallen Kingdom (2018) – $432 Million:
- IMDB Rating: 6.1
- Box Office: $1.31 Billion
- Directed By: J. A. Bayona
- Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, BD Wong, and Jeff Goldblum
The Jurassic franchise has some of the best movies out there. This movie Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, has a whopping production budget of $432 million and grossed around $1.31 billion. The story revolves around Owen Grady and Claire Dearing and their adventurous journey.
The two return to Isla Nublar to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from an impending volcanic eruption. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom even became the highest-grossing film of 2018! The critics liked the dark tone & visuals of this science fiction action film.
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – $416 Million
- IMDB Rating: 6.5
- Box Office: $1.077 Billion
- Directed By: J. J. Abrams
- Starring: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, and Lupita Nyong’o
This epic space opera movie’s visual effects greatly affected the highest budget. This makes it one of the most expensive movies ever made. The movie even broke records for the most alien species ever seen in a Star Wars film.
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker features as the final chapter of the Skywalker saga. The movie focuses on the resurrected battle between Resistance and the First Order.
Because of the stunning visuals, storyline, and characters the movie has been nominated for multiple accolades! It has even won Golden Trailer Awards, Saturn Awards, and more.
4. Pirates Of The Caribbean- On Stranger Tides (2011) – $379 Million:
- IMDB Rating: 6.10
- Box Office: $1.046 Billion
- Directed By: Rob Marshall
- Starring: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush, and Kevin R. McNally
Jack Sparrow is on a journey to find a legendary fountain of youth. But his journey takes a massive turn and is more challenging than expected. Jack Sparrow encounters a mysterious woman from his past. Also, an old enemy Barbossa and a feared pirate Blackbeard are all involved.
This fantasy movie is incredible. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides has a budget of $410.6 million [gross] and $378.5 million [net]. Johnny Depp’s fantastic performance and storyline made this movie a box-office success grossing $1.046 billion!
In addition to being the most expensive movie ever made, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides broke many new records and made its name in the Hollywood industry!
5. Avengers- Age of Ultron (2015) – $365 Million:
- IMDB Rating: 7.3
- Box Office: $1.403 Billion
- Directed By: Joss Whedon
- Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, and Idris Elba
Avengers: Age of Ultron follows the story of Tony Stark & Bruce Banner, which brings a formidable Ultron to life. Well, the situation takes a tragic turn when Ultron decides to wipe out the entire human race. The Avengers, on the hand, set out to protect humanity against the artificial intelligence system.
The Avengers become involved in combat with Ultron throughout the film, contributing to its expensive production budget. Despite a $365 million budget, the movie made almost $1.4 billion, ranking it among the highest-grossing movies ever.
6. Avengers- Endgame (2019) – $356 Million:
- IMDB Rating: 8.4
- Box Office: $2.799 Billion
- Directed By: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo
- Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, and Karen Gillan
The big-budget movie Avengers: Endgame is the most expensive and the longest superhero movie ever made. All of the Avengers reunite in the Endgame and give audiences an unforgettable experience. In the movie, the superheroes are determined to restore balance once again!
The movie even features multiple intense showdowns between the lead characters. The biggest opening weekend box office haul and fastest movie to surpass the $1 billion mark were both set by Avengers: Endgame.
7. Avatar- The Way of Water (2022) – $350 Million:
- IMDB Rating: 7.6
- Box Office: $2.320 Billion
- Directed By: James Cameron
- Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, and Joel David Moore
The highly-anticipated sequel of Avatar broke some groundbreaking records! Avatar: The Way of Water is an epic science-fiction saga set in the mystical world of Pandora! The movie included cutting-edge technology to create a memorable experience for the audience. Spectators get to experience a whole new realm.
You will be thrilled that the post-graduation took almost a year. The movie broke multiple records and quickly became among the highest-grossing movies ever! In addition, it received nominations for multiple acclaimed accolades, including Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards.
8. Fast X (2023) – $340 Million
- IMDB Rating: 5.9
- Box Office: $719.1 Million
- Directed By: Louis Leterrier
- Starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Scott Eastwood, Daniela Melchior, and Alan Ritchson
Being a new movie, Fast X impressed the audience in the case of both budget and box office. Fast X focuses on Toretto and his journey to protect his family from Dante Reyes. Dante is seeking revenge from Toretto and his family for his father’s death. Not only that, Dante faced the loss of his family fortune too.
The intense confrontation between the two added a spark to the storyline. Fast X even became the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2023. Because of the box office success a sequel is already in the works. This movie is, without a doubt, a cinematic delight! Fast X lived up to its name & gave audiences a heart-pounding experience.
9. Avengers- Infinity War (2018) – $325 Million:
- IMDB Rating: 8.4
- Box Office: $2.052 Billion
- Directed By: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo
- Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, and Elizabeth Olsen
From the beginning, Avengers: Infinity War grabbed the audience’s attention. In the movie, the Avengers are on an intense mission to stop the intergalactic warlord Thanos, that can go to any lengths to get his hands on the infinity stone & lead an insane plan. The jaw-dropping sequences will keep you on the edge of your seat!
This superhero movie had an estimated budget of $325-$400 million, but it grossed around $2 billion! That’s quite an achievement. It even received multiple nominations and accolades. Avengers: Infinity War became the first superhero movie to cross $2 billion worldwide.
10. Pirates Of The Caribbean- At World’s End (2007) – $300 Million:
- IMDB Rating: 7.1
- Box Office: $963.4 Million
- Directed By: Gore Verbinski
- Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Stellan Skarsgård, Bill Nighy, Chow Yun-fat, Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport, Kevin R. McNally, and Jonathan Pryce
This is a legendary movie and another Pirates of the Caribbean that made it to the list of most expensive films ever made. The movie focuses on the escape of Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann’s alliances with pirates worldwide!
All of the pirates band together to battle against the East India Company. The movie became the highest-grossing film in 2023, grossing around $963 million.
Johnny Depp won the favourite movie actor award at the 2008 Kids’ Choice Awards! The audience praised the breathtaking landscapes, stunning visuals, performance of Johnny Depp, and thrilling action sequence.
11. Justice League (2017) – $300 Million:
- IMDB Rating: 6.1
- Box Office: $657.9 Million
- Directed By: Zack Snyder
- Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons
Justice League follows a group of superheroes: Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and more. They all come together to protect Earth from the evil Steppenwolf! The evil Steppenwolf has an insane plan to conquer the world by using powerful ancient artefacts called Mother Boxes.
This journey of the superheroes becomes more challenging when Steppenwolf’s army of Parademons. With an estimated budget of $300 million, Justice League grossed around $657 million! Unfortunately, Justice League is known as the ‘box office bomb’ because the estimated value was $750 million, which only garnered $657 million.
12. Star Wars- The Last Jedi (2017) – $300 Million:
- IMDB Rating: 6.9
- Box Office: $1.334 Billion
- Directed By: Rian Johnson
- Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, and Anthony Daniels
The movie focuses on Rey and her challenging journey of understanding the ways of Jedi under Luke Skywalker. Star Wars: The Last Jedi received multiple accolades. This engaging movie delves deeper into past films & explores more complex topics.
It received accolades, including Best Movie for Grownups, Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, and more! We could say that the list of accolades goes on. According to multiple spectators, this is one of the best Star Wars films.
13. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) – $295 Million
- IMDB Rating: 6.8
- Box Office: $357.4 Million
- Directed By: James Mangold
- Starring: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen
The most-awaited movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is out now! It follows archaeologist Indiana Jones’s race against time. His mission is to regain the legendary dial that can change history. His goddaughter accompanies Indiana Jones on this journey.
He’s encountered by a former Nazi who works for Nasa, Jürgen Voller. The movie underperformed at the box office compared to the expensive production budget. Many media outlets estimated that if the movie grossed over $800 million, it would become a box office success, but unfortunately, that didn’t turn out well!
14. Mission- Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part I (2023) – $290 Million:
- IMDB Rating: 8
- Box Office: $451.5 Million
- Directed By: Christopher McQuarrie
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, and Mariela Garriga
Tom Cruise is in action again! This spy action movie focuses on the story of Ethan Hunt and the IMF team on a mission. They must reunite and track down a deadly new weapon that can threaten humanity if fallen into the wrong hands.
The team faces multiple enemies and challenges on their journey to save humanity. Ethan must focus on the mission and prioritise it even against his loved ones. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part I “turned out a much lower opening weekend than expected.”
Frequently Asked Questions:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), with a budget of $447 million, remains the most expensive movie ever made for both adjusted-for-inflation and unadjusted-for-inflation!
The top 5 most expensive movies ever made are – Star Wars: The Force Awakens [$447 Million], Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom [$432 Million], Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker [$416 Million], Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides [$379 Million], and Avengers: Age of Ultron [$365 Million].
Fast X [$340 Million], Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny[$295 Million], and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part I [$290 Million] is the most expensive movie ever made in 2023.
Conclusion:
The movie cost a lot but gave the audience a new adventure! There are more expensive movies like this; the list goes on. Hopefully, we might get more movies added to this collection next year.
In 2023, there were many movies with a lot of budget, and they grossed a great amount too. The audience has widely appreciated the cinematography, characters, and storyline. If you want more content like this in the future, then keep in touch!
While sipping coffee, you can find Ayman writing about various topics like movie recommendations, gaming, and tech. She has always loved writing and is now following her passion. Ayman is constantly pushing herself to achieve new heights of success and is always ready to take on new challenges and explore new opportunities.
