Not so long but once upon a time, there were movies like “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”, “Transformers: Age of Extinction”, and “Avatar” on this list of the 10 most expensive movies ever made in the world. We know they were diamonds, but they couldn’t just continue forever and end up being replaced by the following highest budget movies. Actually, this is a loop that spins yearly and old movies got replaced by the latest ones.
While it mainly depends on the producer and the star cast, Trendtoreview rounded up the production budget, staff fees, marketing cost, set cost, traveling, star cast fees, and other expenses. Besides all these things, we have gone through Wikipedia’s official list and Insider’s report on the most expensive films ever made to finalize their total collection.
In the following picks of the most expensive movies in the world, there is the highest budget movie that has been positioned #1 since 2011. So, keep reading to know the top 10 most expensive movies ever made, their worldwide gross, and how worthy they were.
10. “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)
Do you know which was the first live-action film to feature Batman and Superman together on the big screen? The “Batman vs Superman” Dawn of Justice” became the first movie to change the way we used to watch Marvel movies. It was the first from Marvel’s production house to portray live-action scenes of Wonder Woman and other superheroes. But, what makes it on the list of top 10 most expensive movies ever made? This is a serious question and multiple factors have contributed to such a high cost of production, including the decision to bring big actors such as Ben Affleck, and of course, the high cost of practical effects and movie set. Reports suggest that Ben Affleck alone paid $43 for this movie.
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Holly Hunter, Laurence Fishburne
Cost of Production: $263 Million
Worldwide Gross: $873.6 Million
9. “John Carter” (2012)
Another of the most expensive movies in the world, John Carter is the 9th most expensive yet one of the biggest flops of Hollywood. According to Forbes, the estimated budget of the movie was $306 million before Disney paid $42.9 million for Britain’s Tax Credit Scheme. The marketing was alone added $100 million to the budget
Cast: Lynn Collins, Taylor Kitsch, Willem Dafoe, Samatha Morten, and more.
Cost of Production: $264 million
Worldwide Gross: $284.1 million
8. “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (2019)
This XI episode of the Star Wars series, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” was one of the most expensive movies ever made. However, the film received a mix of reviews from critics besides spending nearly $400 million on production and marketing. But another reason why it became one of the highest budget films ever made is the cast salary. Reports suggest that Daisy Ridley earned the lower-6 figure and Oscar Isaac drew around $3 million out of the budget.
Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Keri Russell, and more.
Cost of production: $275 million
Worldwide Gross: $1Billion+
7. “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (2018)
Due to the expenses and marketing figures, it was rumored to have doubled the movie’s budget. However, the wheel spins, and original directors Phill Lord and Chris Miller fired over creative conflicts and Ron Howard joins the game. His contributions accounted for around 70% of the final film. Also, the marketing and visual effects accounted for nearly $400 million. That’s what makes it one of the most expensive movies ever made in the world.
Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, and Woody Harrelson, etc.
Cost of production: $275 million
Worldwide Gross: $392.9 million
6. “Justice League” (2017)
Do you know what makes it one of the most expensive movies in the world? Actually, it was the decision to choose the highest-paid actors and mainly the special effects, VFX, and graphics team that was working over it. At the time of production, The Wall Street Journal published a post in which it was the highest budget movie.
Cast: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, and Ray Fisher, etc.
Cost of Production: $300 million
Worldwide Gross: $657.9 million
5. “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” (2017)
We have a good reason to put it on the list of the most expensive movies in the world over the “Justice League” which was released in the same year. Above all, the choice of highest-paid actors and the world’s best VFX team working over it. Also, the rising locations and special effects made it the highest budget movie ever made.
Note: The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’s franchise paid the staff and actors.
Cast: Johnny Deep, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, and Geoffrey Rush, etc.
Cost of production: $300 million
Worldwide Gross: $960.9 million
4. “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
The Wall Street Journal published a report in 2018, in which the film cost was around $300 million. Though later it increased to $325 and then $316 million. There is no doubt that the production team hired the best VFX and special effects team that put all efforts to make it one of the most expensive movies ever made.
Cast: Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, and Chadwick Boseman, etc.
Cost of Production: $300 million
Worldwide Gross: $2 billion
3. “Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
Let’s keep it short and crisp – so, Avengers Endgame was one of the most expensive movies in the world because Marvel Cinematic Studio had to spend millions on special effects, music, and post-production and marketing as well. Also, the choice of actors was probably the best.
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Robert Johnny Jr., and Mark Ruffalo, etc.
Cost of Production: $350 million+
Worldwide Gross: $2.8 billion
2. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)
The second most expensive movies ever made was filmed for more than 25 days and they traveled to 4 countries along with 2 additional continents (Africa & Asia). Then there were principal photography and special effects too. But Avengers: Age of Ultron was the highest budget movie because of the GCI Flying robot used in the final battle.
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, James Spader, Elizabeth Olsen, and others including Robert Downey Jr.
Cost of Production: $365 million
Worldwide Gross: 1.4 billion
1. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (2011)
At the time of packing-up, the determined cost of the film was more than its budget, and the film continued to raise funds via financers. According to Forbes, “One of the biggest costs of filming on Stranger Tides was paying the production staff and actors.” Mr. Depp alone made nearly $55 million. However, it was worth it because the money was for his kids. This is the world’s most expensive movie since 2011.
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Johnny Depp, Ian McShane, Sam Claflin, and Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, etc.
Cost of Production: $379 million
Worldwide Gross: $1.4 billion
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