List of most expensive films

The world of blockbuster filmmaking is an astonishing spectacle of creativity, ambition, and — perhaps most surprisingly — staggering financial investment. While many assume we know the most expensive films ever made, the reality is far more secretive, with Hollywood accounting practices often obscuring the true cost. This makes the hunt for the real record-holders a fascinating journey through cinematic history and economic shifts. Defining the 'most expensive film' is complicated by Hollywood's secretive accounting, requiring careful distinction between official budgets, reported costs, and estimates. Film production costs have steadily escalated throughout cinematic history, driven by technological advancements, competition, and ever-increasing spectacle. Inflation dramatically skews historical comparisons, meaning older films like 'Ben-Hur' or 'Cleopatra' often rank far higher when adjusted for today's money.

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AI Summary

The world of blockbuster filmmaking is an astonishing spectacle of creativity, ambition, and — perhaps most surprisingly — staggering financial investment. While many assume we know the most expensive films ever made, the reality is far more secretive, with Hollywood accounting practices often obscuring the true cost. This makes the hunt for the real record-holders a fascinating journey through cinematic history and economic shifts.

Hollywood's Billion-Dollar Bets

Today, big-budget blockbusters are a cornerstone of the film industry, but pinning down their exact costs is surprisingly difficult. Hollywood studios are famously private about their finances, making the 'most expensive film' title a constantly debated mystery.

The Official and Unofficial Records

Officially, 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' holds the record with a net budget of $447 million. However, 'Avatar: The Way of Water' has been reported to cost up to $460 million, challenging that title. These numbers highlight the enormous financial scale of modern cinematic epics.

Beyond single films, the sheer ambition of some projects is breathtaking. The third and fourth 'Avengers' films — 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame' — were shot back-to-back, incurring a combined production cost of over $1 billion. This makes them the most expensive consecutive film production in history.

What Counts as 'Cost'?

When we talk about a film's budget, it's crucial to understand what's included. This list focuses on the 'net negative cost' — essentially, the money spent on the actual filming itself, including salaries, sets, effects, and equipment.

Crucially, this 'net negative cost' excludes a massive chunk of a film's total investment: promotional costs like advertising, trailers, and posters. It also accounts for any tax subsidies received, which can significantly reduce the studio's out-of-pocket expenses.

The Escalation of Spectacle

Film costs haven't always been this astronomical. Throughout cinematic history, a confluence of factors has steadily driven budgets skyward: evolving filming techniques, advancements in visual effects, and external market forces.

The Silent Era's First Million

Even in the silent era, ambition knew no bounds. Films grew longer and more complex, and equipment became more sophisticated. While 'D.W. Griffith's Intolerance' (1916) was rumored to be the first to hit $2 million, it actually cost much less.

The true pioneer, the first film confirmed to have a $1 million budget, was Erich von Stroheim's lavish 1922 drama, 'Foolish Wives'. It was proudly advertised as 'The First Real Million Dollar Picture,' a monumental sum for its time.

The silent era's most expensive production was 'Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ' (1925), which famously cost about $4 million. This was an astounding sum, twenty-five times the average MGM feature cost, setting a record that held for many years.

Hollywood vs. The Living Room

The 1950s and early 1960s saw costs rapidly escalate, largely fueled by cinema's fierce competition with television for audiences. Studios invested in massive epics to draw people out of their homes and into theaters.

A prime example of this trend was 'Cleopatra' (1963). Despite being the highest-grossing film of its year, its colossal budget made it a financial flop on its initial release. Its tale serves as a cautionary reminder of unchecked spending.

The $100 Million Threshold and Beyond

The 1990s marked another significant turning point. James Cameron's 'True Lies' (1994) shattered the $100 million barrier, and just three years later, his epic 'Titanic' (1997) became the first film to cost over $200 million.

Since then, a budget exceeding $100 million has become almost standard for a major studio 'tent-pole' feature, and an increasing number of films routinely exceed $200 million. This escalation is largely due to the widespread adoption of computer-generated imagery (CGI).

The Inflation Challenge

Comparing film budgets across different decades is tricky because of inflation. A million dollars in 1922 is vastly different from a million dollars today. To truly understand historical costs, we need to adjust for inflation.

When budgets are adjusted for inflation using indices like the Consumer Price Index, the ranking of 'most expensive films' often changes dramatically. Older films that seemed incredibly costly at the time reveal their true, monumental investment in today's terms.

Common Misconceptions

The Soviet epic 'War and Peace' (1966-1967) is often cited as the most expensive film ever. Early American reports claimed $100 million, which would be nearly $700 million today. However, its actual financial records reveal a cost closer to $9 million — still substantial, but far less.

Another frequently misattributed film is Fritz Lang's 1927 masterpiece 'Metropolis'. Many mistakenly believe it cost $200 million in modern money. In reality, its original cost was $1.2-1.3 million, roughly equivalent to about $24 million today — still impressive, but not quite the record.

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List of most expensive films

Ben-Hur (1925) was the most expensive film of the silent era, possibly holding the record for over twenty years.

It is not clear which film is the most expensive ever made, due to the secretive nature of Hollywood accounting. Star Wars: The Force Awakens holds the official record with a net budget of $536 million. The production of the third and fourth Avengers films—Infinity War and Endgame—stands as the most expensive back-to-back film production, with a cost of over $1 billion.

Inflation, filming techniques, and external market forces affect the cost of film production. Costs rose steadily during the silent era; 1925's Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ set a record that lasted well into the sound era. Television had an impact on rising costs in the 1950s and early 1960s as cinema competed with it for audiences; 1963's highest-earning film, Cleopatra, did not recoup its costs on its original release. The 1990s saw two thresholds crossed: 1994's True Lies cost $100 million and 1997's Titanic cost $200 million, both directed by James Cameron. The 21st century has so far seen the $300 million and $400 million thresholds crossed and it has become normal for a tent-pole feature from a major film studio to cost over $200 million, and an increasing number of films now cost more than $300 million.

This list contains only films already released to the general public and not films that are still in production or post-production, as costs can change during the production process. Listed below is the net negative cost: the costs of the actual filming, not including promotional costs (i.e. advertisements, commercials, posters, etc.) and after accounting for tax subsidies. The charts are ordered by budgets that have been independently audited or officially acknowledged by the production companies where they are known; most companies will not give a statement on the actual production costs, so often only estimates by professional researchers and movie industry writers are available. Where budget estimates conflict, the productions are charted by lower-bound estimates.

Most expensive productions (unadjusted for inflation)

List of most expensive films

Productions with a net budget of over $200 million in nominal U.S. dollars are listed here. Due to inflation, all of the films on the chart have been produced in the 21st century.

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Title</th><th>Year</th><th>Cost (est.) (millions)</th><th>Refs and notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</td><td>2015</td><td>$536</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker</td><td>2019</td><td>$490</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Jurassic World Dominion</td><td>2022</td><td>$465</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom</td><td>2018</td><td>$465</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Deadpool & Wolverine</td><td>2024</td><td>$429</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Fast X</td><td>2023</td><td>$379</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides</td><td>2011</td><td>$379</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Avengers: Age of Ultron</td><td>2015</td><td>$365</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Avengers: Endgame</td><td>2019</td><td>$356</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny</td><td>2023</td><td>$352</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness</td><td>2022</td><td>$351</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Avatar: The Way of Water</td><td>2022</td><td>$350</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Avatar: Fire and Ash</td><td>2025</td><td>$350</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Star Wars: The Last Jedi</td><td>2017</td><td>$343</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania</td><td>2023</td><td>$330</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Avengers: Infinity War</td><td>2018</td><td>$325</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>The Electric State</td><td>2025</td><td>$320</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>The Marvels</td><td>2023</td><td>$307</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End</td><td>2007</td><td>$300</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Justice League</td><td>2017</td><td>$300</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Solo: A Star Wars Story</td><td>2018</td><td>$300</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning</td><td>2025</td><td>$300</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One</td><td>2023</td><td>$291</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>Snow White</td><td>2025</td><td>$272</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>Rogue One</td><td>2016</td><td>$271</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>John Carter</td><td>2012</td><td>$264</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice</td><td>2016</td><td>$263</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>28</td><td>Tangled</td><td>2010</td><td>$260</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>29</td><td>Spider-Man 3</td><td>2007</td><td>$258</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>Beauty and the Beast</td><td>2017</td><td>$255</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>31</td><td>Eternals</td><td>2021</td><td>$254</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>32</td><td>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</td><td>2009</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Furious 7</td><td>2015</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Fate of the Furious</td><td>2017</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Lion King</td><td>2019</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>No Time to Die</td><td>2021</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Thor: Love and Thunder</td><td>2022</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</td><td>2022</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3</td><td>2023</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Gladiator II</td><td>2024</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>41</td><td>Black Widow</td><td>2021</td><td>$248</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>42</td><td>Spectre</td><td>2015</td><td>$245</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>43</td><td>The Little Mermaid</td><td>2023</td><td>$240</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>44</td><td>Avatar</td><td>2009</td><td>$237</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>45</td><td>The Dark Knight Rises</td><td>2012</td><td>$230</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Captain America: Civil War</td><td>2016</td><td>$230</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales</td><td>2017</td><td>$230</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>48</td><td>Maleficent</td><td>2014</td><td>$226</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>49</td><td>The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian</td><td>2008</td><td>$225</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Lone Ranger</td><td>2013</td><td>$225</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest</td><td>2006</td><td>$225</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Man of Steel</td><td>2013</td><td>$225</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Superman</td><td>2025</td><td>$225</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>54</td><td>The Avengers</td><td>2012</td><td>$220</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>55</td><td>The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug</td><td>2013</td><td>$217</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Transformers: The Last Knight</td><td>2017</td><td>$217</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>57</td><td>Men in Black 3</td><td>2012</td><td>$215</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Oz the Great and Powerful</td><td>2013</td><td>$215</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>59</td><td>X-Men: The Last Stand</td><td>2006</td><td>$210</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Transformers: Age of Extinction</td><td>2014</td><td>$210</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>61</td><td>Battleship</td><td>2012</td><td>$209</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dawn of the Planet of the Apes</td><td>2014</td><td>$209</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies</td><td>2014</td><td>$209</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>64</td><td>King Kong</td><td>2005</td><td>$207</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>65</td><td>X-Men: Days of Future Past</td><td>2014</td><td>$205</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Tenet</td><td>2020</td><td>$205</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom</td><td>2023</td><td>$205</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>68</td><td>Superman Returns</td><td>2006</td><td>$204</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Titles</th><th>Years</th><th>Cost (est.) (millions)</th><th>Refs and notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>Avengers: Infinity War Avengers: Endgame</td><td>2018–19</td><td>$1,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>The Hobbit trilogy</td><td>2012–14</td><td>$623</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End</td><td>2006–07</td><td>$450</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and Part 2</td><td>2014–15</td><td>$300</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>The Lord of the Rings trilogy</td><td>2001–03</td><td>$260</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2</td><td>2010–11</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Revolutions</td><td>2003</td><td>$237</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and Part 2</td><td>2011–12</td><td>$230</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Most expensive films (adjusted for inflation)

List of most expensive films

The productions listed here have their nominal budgets adjusted for inflation using the United States Consumer Price Index taking the year of release. Charts adjusted for inflation are usually ordered differently, because they are dependent on the inflation measure used and the original budget estimate.

The Soviet War and Peace, released in four parts across 1966 and 1967, is sometimes cited as the most expensive production ever: Soviet claims stating it cost $100 million (estimated at nearly $700 million accounting for inflation forty years after its release) were circulated in the American press during its showing there. However, its financial records reveal it cost slightly more than $9 million (about $60–70 million in today's money). Another notable omission is Metropolis, the 1927 German film directed by Fritz Lang, often erroneously reported as having cost $200 million at the value of modern money. Metropolis cost $1.2–1.3 million at the time of its production, which would be about $24 million at 2021 prices, according to the German consumer price index.

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Title</th><th>Year</th><th>Cost (est.) (millions)</th><th>Refs and notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Adjusted</td><td>Nominal</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</td><td>2015</td><td>$727</td><td>$536</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker</td><td>2019</td><td>$617</td><td>$490</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom</td><td>2018</td><td>$596</td><td>$465</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides</td><td>2011</td><td>$542</td><td>$379</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Jurassic World Dominion</td><td>2022</td><td>$512</td><td>$465</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Avengers: Age of Ultron</td><td>2015</td><td>$496</td><td>$365</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End</td><td>2007</td><td>$466</td><td>$300</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Star Wars: The Last Jedi</td><td>2017</td><td>$451</td><td>$343</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Avengers: Endgame</td><td>2019</td><td>$448</td><td>$356</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Deadpool & Wolverine</td><td>2024</td><td>$440</td><td>$429</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Avengers: Infinity War</td><td>2018</td><td>$417</td><td>$325</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Titanic</td><td>1997</td><td>$401</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Spider-Man 3</td><td>2007</td><td>$401</td><td>$258</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Fast X</td><td>2023</td><td>$400</td><td>$379</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Justice League</td><td>2017</td><td>$394</td><td>$300</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness</td><td>2022</td><td>$386</td><td>$351</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>Avatar: The Way of Water</td><td>2022</td><td>$385</td><td>$350</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>Tangled</td><td>2010</td><td>$384</td><td>$260</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Solo: A Star Wars Story</td><td>2018</td><td>$384</td><td>$300</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</td><td>2009</td><td>$375</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny</td><td>2023</td><td>$372</td><td>$352</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>John Carter</td><td>2012</td><td>$370</td><td>$264</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Rogue One: A Star Wars Story</td><td>2016</td><td>$364</td><td>$271</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>Waterworld</td><td>1995</td><td>$363</td><td>$172</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest</td><td>2006</td><td>$359</td><td>$225</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>Avatar</td><td>2009</td><td>$356</td><td>$237</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice</td><td>2016</td><td>$353</td><td>$263</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>28</td><td>Avatar: Fire and Ash</td><td>2025</td><td>$350</td><td>$350</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>29</td><td>Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania</td><td>2023</td><td>$349</td><td>$330</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>King Kong</td><td>2005</td><td>$341</td><td>$207</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Spider-Man 2</td><td>2004</td><td>$341</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>32</td><td>Furious 7</td><td>2015</td><td>$340</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>33</td><td>The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian</td><td>2008</td><td>$336</td><td>$225</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>34</td><td>X-Men: The Last Stand</td><td>2006</td><td>$335</td><td>$210</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Beauty and the Beast</td><td>2017</td><td>$335</td><td>$255</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>36</td><td>Spectre</td><td>2015</td><td>$333</td><td>$245</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>37</td><td>Wild Wild West</td><td>1999</td><td>$329</td><td>$170</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>38</td><td>The Fate of the Furious</td><td>2017</td><td>$328</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>39</td><td>Cleopatra</td><td>1963</td><td>$327</td><td>$31</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>40</td><td>Superman Returns</td><td>2006</td><td>$326</td><td>$204</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>41</td><td>The Marvels</td><td>2023</td><td>$324</td><td>$307</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>42</td><td>The Dark Knight Rises</td><td>2012</td><td>$323</td><td>$230</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>43</td><td>The Electric State</td><td>2025</td><td>$320</td><td>$320</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>44</td><td>The Lion King</td><td>2019</td><td>$315</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>45</td><td>The Lone Ranger</td><td>2013</td><td>$311</td><td>$225</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Man of Steel</td><td>2013</td><td>$311</td><td>$225</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>47</td><td>The Avengers</td><td>2012</td><td>$309</td><td>$220</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Captain America: Civil War</td><td>2016</td><td>$309</td><td>$230</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>49</td><td>Maleficent</td><td>2014</td><td>$307</td><td>$226</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One</td><td>2023</td><td>$307</td><td>$291</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>51</td><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales</td><td>2017</td><td>$302</td><td>$230</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Men in Black 3</td><td>2012</td><td>$302</td><td>$215</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>53</td><td>Eternals</td><td>2021</td><td>$301</td><td>$254</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>54</td><td>Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen</td><td>2009</td><td>$300</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2012</td><td>2009</td><td>$300</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Terminator Salvation</td><td>2009</td><td>$300</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug</td><td>2013</td><td>$300</td><td>$217</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning</td><td>2025</td><td>$300</td><td>$300</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>59</td><td>Quantum of Solace</td><td>2008</td><td>$299</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>60</td><td>Troy</td><td>2004</td><td>$298</td><td>$175</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>61</td><td>Oz the Great and Powerful</td><td>2013</td><td>$297</td><td>$215</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</td><td>2005</td><td>$297</td><td>$180</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>No Time to Die</td><td>2021</td><td>$297</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>64</td><td>Toy Story 3</td><td>2010</td><td>$295</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>65</td><td>Black Widow</td><td>2021</td><td>$294</td><td>$248</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>66</td><td>Battleship</td><td>2012</td><td>$293</td><td>$209</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines</td><td>2003</td><td>$293</td><td>$167</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>68</td><td>Green Lantern</td><td>2011</td><td>$286</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Cars 2</td><td>2011</td><td>$286</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>70</td><td>Transformers: Age of Extinction</td><td>2014</td><td>$286</td><td>$210</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>71</td><td>Transformers: The Last Knight</td><td>2017</td><td>$285</td><td>$217</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>72</td><td>Dawn of the Planet of the Apes</td><td>2014</td><td>$284</td><td>$209</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies</td><td>2014</td><td>$284</td><td>$209</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>74</td><td>The Amazing Spider-Man</td><td>2012</td><td>$280</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey</td><td>2012</td><td>$280</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>76</td><td>The Golden Compass</td><td>2007</td><td>$279</td><td>$180</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Transformers: Dark of the Moon</td><td>2011</td><td>$279</td><td>$195</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>X-Men: Days of Future Past</td><td>2014</td><td>$279</td><td>$205</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>79</td><td>Armageddon</td><td>1998</td><td>$277</td><td>$140</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull</td><td>2008</td><td>$277</td><td>$185</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Dark Knight</td><td>2008</td><td>$277</td><td>$185</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>82</td><td>Iron Man 3</td><td>2013</td><td>$276</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Monsters University</td><td>2013</td><td>$276</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>84</td><td>Thor: Love and Thunder</td><td>2022</td><td>$275</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</td><td>2022</td><td>$275</td><td>$250</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>n/a</td><td>Van Helsing</td><td>2004</td><td>$273</td><td>$160</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Polar Express</td><td>2004</td><td>$273</td><td>$160</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>n/a</td><td>The Amazing Spider-Man 2</td><td>2014</td><td>$272</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Exodus: Gods and Kings</td><td>2014</td><td>$272</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Evan Almighty</td><td>2007</td><td>$272</td><td>$175</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Snow White</td><td>2025</td><td>$272</td><td>$272</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>n/a</td><td>WALL-E</td><td>2008</td><td>$269</td><td>$180</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>n/a</td><td>Superman</td><td>1978</td><td>$269–274</td><td>$55</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Record-holders

List of most expensive films

Foolish Wives was the first film to have a $1 million budget.

Throughout the silent era, the cost of film-making grew steadily as films became longer and more ambitious and the techniques and equipment became more sophisticated. It is not known for certain which was the first film to cost $1 million or more to produce, and several myths have grown over time: D. W. Griffith's Intolerance (1916) was reputed to have cost $2 million, but accounts show that it only cost $385,906.77; additionally, A Daughter of the Gods (1916) was advertised as costing a million dollars, but Variety estimated its true cost at $850,000. The first film that is confirmed to have had a $1 million budget is Foolish Wives (1922), with the studio advertising it as "The First Real Million Dollar Picture".

The most expensive film of the silent era was Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925), costing about $4 million—twenty-five times the $160,000 average cost of an MGM feature. It is unclear which sound-era production superseded it as the most expensive film, although this is commonly attributed to Hell's Angels (1930), directed by Howard Hughes; the accounts for Hell's Angels show it cost $2.8 million, but Hughes publicised it as costing $4 million, selling it to the media as the most expensive film ever made. The first film to seriously challenge the record was Gone with the Wind, reported to have cost about $3.9–4.25 million, although sources from the time state that Ben-Hur and—erroneously—Hell's Angels cost more. Ben-Hur was definitively displaced at the top of the chart by Duel in the Sun in 1946.

The 1950s saw costs rapidly escalate as cinema competed with television for audiences, culminating with some hugely expensive epics in the 1960s that failed to recoup their costs. A prominent example of this trend was Cleopatra (1963), which lost money on its initial release despite being the highest-grossing film of the year. Since the 1990s, film budgets have once again seen a dramatic increase as the use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) has become commonplace in big-budget features.

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Production</th><th>Cost (est.) (millions)</th><th>Refs and notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1922</td><td>Foolish Wives</td><td>$1.104</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1922</td><td>When Knighthood Was in Flower</td><td>$1.5</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1923</td><td>The Ten Commandments</td><td>$1.476</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1925</td><td>Ben-Hur</td><td>$3.967</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1939</td><td>Gone with the Wind</td><td>$3.9–4.25</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1946</td><td>Duel in the Sun</td><td>$5.255</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1947</td><td>Forever Amber</td><td>$6.375</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1951</td><td>Quo Vadis</td><td>$7.623</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1956</td><td>The Ten Commandments</td><td>$13.272</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1959</td><td>Ben-Hur</td><td>$15.175</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1962</td><td>Mutiny on the Bounty</td><td>$19</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1963</td><td>Cleopatra</td><td>$31.115</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1978</td><td>Superman</td><td>$55</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1988</td><td>Rambo III</td><td>$58–63</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Who Framed Roger Rabbit</td><td>$58.166</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1990</td><td>Total Recall</td><td>$50–60</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Die Hard 2</td><td>$62–70</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1991</td><td>Terminator 2: Judgment Day</td><td>$94</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1994</td><td>True Lies</td><td>$100</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1995</td><td>Waterworld</td><td>$172</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1997</td><td>Titanic</td><td>$200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2005</td><td>King Kong</td><td>$207</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2006</td><td>X-Men: The Last Stand</td><td>$210</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Superman Returns</td><td>$204</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest</td><td>$225</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2007</td><td>Spider-Man 3</td><td>$258</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End</td><td>$300</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2011</td><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides</td><td>$379</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2015</td><td>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</td><td>$536</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Production</th><th>Cost (est.) (millions)</th><th>Refs and notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1990</td><td>Back to the Future Part II and Part III (1989–1990)</td><td>†$80</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2003</td><td>The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Revolutions</td><td>†$237</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003)</td><td>†$260</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2007</td><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)</td><td>†$450</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2014</td><td>The Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014)</td><td>†$623</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2019</td><td>Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Avengers: Endgame (2019)</td><td>†$1,000</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>