From computer-generated imagery (CGI) to expensive acting talent, producing a cinematic box office hit can be a costly business.
Financing movies therefore is an expensive enterprise but financing is undertaken with expectations that it will bring rich rewards.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) – $378.5 million; profit: $621.5
million
Topping the list of most expensive movies ever made is the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, with an eye-watering budget that has made it the priciest movie in history for over a decade.
Johnny Depp reportedly earned $55 million for reprising the role of Captain Jack Sparrow.
After totting up salaries, the cost of hiring 895 members of staff for production, and shooting
almost exclusively on 3D cameras, the film’s $1 billion box office gross was surely a very
welcome result.
Avengers: Endgame (2019) – cost: $356 million; profit: $2.44 billion
Avengers: Endgame is arguably bestknown for its epic final battle scene, which featured 30+ Marvel characters in combat all at once. With salaries – it is reported that Robert Downey Jr. alone took home $75 million for his role – costly CGI effects and additional production costs combined, producers were likely thrilled that the film grossed $2.8 billion at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film ever at the time.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – cost: $325 million; profit: $1.675 billion
There are some conflicting reports on the exact budget for this film but based on the most recent figures citing $325 million, it was extremely pricey.
Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Chadwick Boseman all had starring roles, and those actors did not come cheap, along with the various special effects and an expensive post-production marketing campaign.
However, the film returned a whopping $2 billion in ticket sales.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) – cost: $300 million; profit: $391 million
At the time of its box office release, At World’s End was the most expensive film ever made and today it’s still not far from the top spot. Its sky-high budget was thanks to the cost of special effects, location changes and its usual high-profile cast.
It reportedly grossed an impressive $961 million worldwide though.
Justice League (2017) – cost: $300 million; profit: $357.9 million
Justice League assembled some of DC Comics’ biggest stars, including Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and Jason Momoa as Aquaman.
Director Zack Synder was originally at the helm, but had to step down during post-production. Variety reported that the change of hands between Snyder and Joss Whedon led to expensive reshoots and rewrites, which added an additional $25 million to the film’s initial budget.
The film went onto gross $657.9 million worldwide.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)- cost: $275 million; profit: $825 million
The final part of the newest Star Wars trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker was released to mixed reviews, but still managed to bring in $1.1 billion at the box office.
Actors’ salaries reportedly weren’t very high but, in addition to the expensive costume and set designs that Star Wars is known for, Forbes reported that the untimely passing of Carrie Fisher in 2016 resulted in reshoots and rewrites that would have impacted the budget.
No Time to Die (2021) – cost: $250 million; profit: $524 million
No Time to Die marked Daniel Craig’s fifth and final outing as agent 007 – and no expense was spared to make sure he had a proper send-off.
The movie boasted an estimated production budget of at least $250 million, with Craig alone reportedly banking a cool $25 million to reprise his role one last time.
Following several delays due to the pandemic, the spy thriller hit cinemas in October 2021 and, to date, has grossed around $774 million at the worldwide box office.
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