A big Hollywood blockbuster often requires a lot of cash.
While it doesn’t always take a big production budget to make a break-out hit, the most successful movies are often the costliest.
We turned to IMDB and Box Office Mojo to gather the 30 priciest films ever made, and consulted the consumer price index to adjust for inflation.
We’ve also included the original reported and estimated budgets for comparison. A few franchises make the list twice.
While none of this year’s movies are among the most expensive, many of the most successful films ever made cost more than $US200 million.
Original estimated budget: $215 million
Worldwide gross: $US260.5 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $264.2 million
*(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $215 million
Worldwide gross: $493.3 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $500.3 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $175 million
Worldwide gross: $497.4 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $622 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $200 million
Worldwide gross: $586.1 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $643.1 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $200 million
Worldwide gross: $769.7 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $847.5 million
*(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $200 million
Worldwide gross: $371.5 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $408.9 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $200 million
Worldwide gross: $836.3 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $920.9 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $220 million
Worldwide gross:$1.5 billion
Worldwide adjusted gross:$1.56 billion
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $225 million
Worldwide gross: $668 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $677.5 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $225 million
Worldwide gross: $624 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $642 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget:$230 million
Worldwide gross: $752.2 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $US779.9 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $170 million
Worldwide gross: $222.1 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $US315 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $US209 million
Worldwide gross: $391 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $US458.3 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $210 million
Worldwide gross: $459.4 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $US538.3 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $225 million
Worldwide gross: $419.7 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $US460.5 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $200 million
Worldwide gross: $783.8 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $US980.3 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $207 million
Worldwide gross: $550.5 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $US665.9 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $200 million
Worldwide gross: $433.4 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $556.5 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget:$250 million
Worldwide gross:$284.1 million
Worldwide adjusted gross:$292.4 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $250 million
Worldwide gross: $US1.08 billion
Worldwide adjusted gross:$1.1 billion
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $250 million
Worldwide gross: $US1.02 billion
Worldwide adjusted gross: $1.05 billion
Source: Forbes
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $US237 million
Worldwide gross: $2.8 billion
Worldwide adjusted gross: $3.1 billion
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $225 million
Worldwide gross: $1 billion
Worldwide adjusted gross: $1.2 billion
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $175 million
Worldwide gross: $264.2 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $409.6 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $250 million
Worldwide gross: $934.4 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $US1 billion
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $260 million
Worldwide gross: $590.7 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $641.1 million
The film usually raises eyebrows as one of the most costly films to make since it's an animated film. The high cost for 'Tangled' was due in part to the complex blend of traditional hand-drawn animation from older films ('Beauty and the Beast,' 'The Lion King') with CGI to give the film the distinct feeling of one of the classics in the 21st century.
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $258 million
Worldwide gross: $890.9 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $1 billion
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $200 million
Worldwide gross: $2.2 billion
Worldwide adjusted gross: $US3.2 billion*
*Includes tickets for 2012 'Titanic 3-D' re-release.
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $44 million
Gross in 1963: $57.8 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $445.8 million
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
Original estimated budget: $300 million
Worldwide gross: $963.4 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $US1.1 billion
(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)
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Paramount / DreamWorks‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ is one of the most expensive movies made. ‘Age of Extinction,’ the next movie in the franchise out this summer, cost an estimated $US165 million to produce.