What are the 36 Most Expensive Movies Ever Made?

Via Rope of Silicon:

Business Insider has posted a list of the 30 most expense movies ever made (plus a few additions/corrections from me), using data from IMDB and Box Office Mojo as well as adjusting for inflation. Here goes:
  1. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) — $341.8 million
  2. Cleopatra (1963) — $339.5 million (Original estimated budget: $44 million)
  3. Titanic (1997) — $294.3 million
  4. Spider-Man 3 (2007) — $293.9 million
  5. Tangled (2010) — $281.7 million
  6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) — $275.3 million
  7. Waterworld (1995) — $271.3 million
  8. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) — $263.7 million
  9. Avatar (2009) — $261 million
  10. The Hobbit (2012) — $257.2 million
  11. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) — $257.2 million
  12. John Carter (2012) — $257.2 million
  13. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) — $256.8 million
  14. King Kong (2005) — $250.4 million
  15. Spider-Man 2 (2004) — $250.1 million
  16. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) — $246.9 million
  17. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) — $246.1 million
  18. Superman Returns (2009) — $244.9 million
  19. Wild Wild West (1999) — $241.1 million
  20. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) — $237.16 million
  21. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) — $236.7 million
  22. Men in Black III (2012) — $231.5 million
  23. Man of Steel (2013) — $228.2 million
  24. The Avengers (2012) — $226.4 million
  25. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) — $220.2 million
  26. Terminator Salvation (2009) — $220.2 million
  27. 2012 (2009) — $220.2 million
  28. Quantum of Solace (2008) — $219.4 million
  29. Troy (2004) — $218.9 million
  30. Toy Story 3 (2010) — $218.2 million
  31. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) — $218.2 million
  32. Iron Man 2 (2010) — $218.2 million
  33. Robin Hood (2010) — $218.2 million
  34. Alice in Wonderland (2010) — $218.2 million
  35. Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) — $218 million
  36. The Lone Ranger (2013) — $218 million

Perhaps the most startling fact:

It’s for these reasons we talk about budgets and box office. It’s out of control nowadays and other than about four films before 2003, 26 of those films are from the last ten years… and that’s adjusting for inflation [emphasis added].

We can sit here all day and cry out this business model is not sustainable. Even luminaries like Spielberg and Lucas can publicly proclaim “there’s eventually going to be an implosion.”

Maybe so. But with 23 superhero movies planned for release in the next 4 years, there suits aren’t buying that proposition. Hell, we could be looking back in 5 years time at this list which could have doubled in size and added another 25% on the top end for budgets.

What can we do? (1) Wait for the international market to wise up to this game the major studios are playing and stop paying to see mediocre to lousy big budget spectacles. (2) Promote quality financier funded movies and independent films. (3) Support quality big budget movies with solid stories and well-written characters.

For the rest of the article, go here.

Comment Archive