Watching a movie with exceptional graphics and studio appearance? Mesmerized by the beauty of the video frame and the aesthetics involved? Well, just to be clear it must have cost a fortune and we have compiled a list of the most expensive movies in US ever made for you.
Movies that contain some of the most loved actors and shots from iconic locations don’t just get made like that. It costs millions and millions of dollars on just the actor’s salary let alone taking the whole crew to the said locations and shooting there.
Whether it may be animations or a live-action movie or maybe both! It can’t be made without money. Numerous producers, investors, and companies invest in the making of such movies so they can get a return when they make it to the Box office.
However, some may even give a loss instead of a profit partially due to its poor storyline or just lack of interest by the audience.
Whatever the case may be, we are here to give you a list of first-and suggestions on what to watch if you’re in the mood to watch something that was made at a lot of expense.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that this list not only contains the most expensive movies in US ever made but also the ones with exceptional storylines and if you face any issues while streaming these movies try using the best streaming VPN.
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides — $422M
Director: Rob Marshall
Writer: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
Cast: Robbie Kay, Johnny Depp, Óscar Jaenada
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
IMDB: 6.6/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 16 minutes
This exceptionally expensive movie in the series of the whole Pirates of the Caribbean tale talks of the journey of Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbosa to the Fountain of youth.
However, when a woman Sparrow used to be fond of comes back into the scene along with her father also on this quest, things get a bit out of hand. She makes sure he lands on a ship he does not want to be in the name of revenge.
Even though this movie does not get a very high rating as the previous three ones which enjoyed a high amount of success, it did pay off the investment through a gross of $1.045 billion. Mainly the production team was just paid 17.8 million dollars with Johnny Depp taking 55million dollars alone!
This is the best adventure movie of all time!
2. Avengers: Age of Ultron — $386M
Director: Joss Whedon
Writer: Joss Whedon
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Robert Downey Jr., Elizabeth Olsen
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
IMDB: 7.3/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 21 minutes
What happens when all your favorite marvel heroes combine to come together in one movie? It gets pricey! When Tony Stark and the Incredible Hulk try and keep a peace program to stop any more destruction from happening, Ultron comes to life taking over a robotic form and forming an alliance with two siblings in Russia.
However, things go out of hand when Ultron proves to be too much power and the only thing that can eradicate him is another program like himself.
That’s when Vision comes into the scene causing more money to be spent on his suit, graphics, and pretty much the whole mountain flying experience you get to see if you are in a 3D cinema viewing the final battle. This is one of the most expensive movies in US ever made.
The Marvel movies in order are the most suspenseful movies of all time!
3. Avengers: Endgame — $350M
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Writer: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Cast: Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Chadwick Boseman,
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Action
IMDB: 8.4/10
Runtime: 3 hours and 1 minute
Thanos caused a wreck in the universe trying to balance things. It’s been 5 years half of the universe’s population just vanished into thin air until Ant-Man comes out of the loop and tries to gather the others to fight off Thanos once again.
Going back into time, trying to gather the stones from other realms is a whole new level of excitement which does cost a lot! When you are off to beat the supervillain, you need a band of superheroes who have different abilities according to your needs.
That’s why a total of 100 to 200 million bucks are spent on just the CGI effects which make the character’s powers so unique. Now imagine a whole lot of them to cover! No wonder all Marvel movies have a budget of over 300 million dollars.
4. Avengers: Infinity War — $316M
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Writer: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Cast: Dave Bautista, Robert Downey Jr., Terry Notary
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
IMDB: 8.4/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 29 minutes
This one is sort of a heart wreck for many but it is an epic battle between all the marvel heroes and their sidekicks with one and only Thanos. When Dr.Strange meets with Iron Man, he is warned of getting stolen of the infinity stone of time.
That’s when Iron Man, Hulk, Dr.Strange, Spiderman, Thor, and the rest of the allies join in on an impossible quest to stop Thanos from acquiring all the infinity stones to fulfill his plans of balancing the universe.
This production cost more than 300 million dollars because to produce a whirlwind of battle like that, you have to have a whole comrade of employees running around making sure everything goes well. Plus, every character has to show their best abilities on the screen which makes it more than 2 dozen just for this movie alone.
CGI effects and going back and forth on different realms plus universes would surely require those green notes to be flying all over. You will love the drama in this movie also it’s the best drama movie of all time.
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End — $300M
Director: Gore Verbinski
Writer: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
Cast: Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Crook, Lee Arenberg, Naomie Harris, Tom Hollander, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Bill Nighy, Kevin McNally, Chow Yun-Fat, Stellan Skarsgård, Reggie Lee
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
IMDB: 7.1/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 49 minutes
When Barbosa, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swan go off on a journey to find Captain Jack Sparrow because they must fight the battle with Lord Cutler Beckett, Davy Jones, and Admiral James Norrington to gain back their freedom of sailing in the seven seas.
The act which could change their fates forever and produce such a masterpiece amongst the other ones was surely not a child’s play.
Most of the money that went into this movie was because of the popularity of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow amongst all the other crew and characters which made this a reality. Except for the actors and employees, the marvelous locations used in the movie are also the result of heft amounts to be spent to bring out the movie’s true essence.
Pirates of the Caribbean has been known as a fantastic movie with amazing ships who knew that it is one of the most expensive movies in US ever made and this has all the things which binge-watchers need just like it is the most amazing comedy movie of all time.
6. Justice League — $300M
Director: Zack Snyder, Joss Whedon
Writer: Chris Terrio, Joss Whedon
Cast: Gal Gadot, J.K. Simmons, Ben Affleck, Jeremy Irons
Genre: Fantasy, Action
IMDB: 6.1/10
Runtime: 2 hours
Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince find a new ignition to save humanity by the truthfulness of Superman. While Batman and Wonder Woman fights against the greater enemy, the threat may be hard to overcome by the time Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman, along with others, have a chance to get a go at it.
Another one of the movies where all the main characters of the League come together in one film causing the budget to go skyrocketing over the roof. Surely a must-watch for the fans of the Justice League, what they don’t know is how much investments were put in while trying to shoot over and over again to get the perfect shot.
7. Solo: A Star Wars Story — $275M
Director: Ron Howard
Writer: Lawrence Kasdan, Jonathan Kasdan
Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Warwick Davis, Clint Howard, Richard Dixon, Joonas Suotamo, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover, Thandiwe Newton, Paul Bettany, Sarah-Stephanie, Deepak Anand
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
IMDB: 6.9/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 15 minutes
No one imagined the characters that will involve in this epic journey of the Star Wars series. Where an adventure into the galaxy means getting to travel with Hans Solo trying to escape risky and daring sites of the underworld where criminals reap everywhere. He also meets his co-pilot Chewbacca while also encountering an interesting character of a gambler.
One of the most expensive Movies in US in the History of Star Wars movies, the huge costs are mainly due to numerous reshoots and changes of directors in between causing a new set of teammates to chip in for the ending.
8. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — $275M
Director: J.J. Abrams
Writer: J.J. Abrams, Chris Terrio
Cast: Joonas Suotamo, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver
Genre: Adventure, Sci-fi, Action, Fantasy
IMDB: 6.5/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 21 minutes
The epic movie consists of the final battle as Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron go on to complete a journey as the saga which will change the course of their freedom forever. Immense power and information are put behind as the war begins.
Disney spent a fortune on this trilogy of The rise of Skywalker, closing in on a 42-year-old entity of entertainment left no choice but to go forward with such huge expenses. You have to shell out cash if you want that kind of animation and special digital effects.
9. John Carter — $264M
Director: Andrew Stanton
Writer: Michael Chabon, Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews
Cast: Taylor Kitsch, James Purefoy, Thomas Haden Church, Bryan Cranston, Polly Walker, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, Ciarán Hinds, Dominic West, Daryl Sabara, Jonathan Hyde
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Fantasy, Action
IMDB: 6.6/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 12 minutes
It’s the year 1868 and a civil war veteran is asked to join the military. Upon refusal, he is locked up against his will. He manages to escape that lock-up and finds himself in some sort of a cave where he sees a shining medallion. To his surprise, he lands himself in a mysterious place where he can jump to varying heights, witness creatures never seen before, and meets a woman who tells him he is on Planet Mars.
This movie cost Disney more money than it made in profits. Spending more than 300 million on this piece of art can be seen in the movie graphics and obviously, the humongous creatures trying to look real with John Carter riding on top of wasn’t going to be a cheap haul.
10. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice — $263M
Director: Zack Snyder
Writer: Chris Terrio, David S. Goyer
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Scoot McNairy, Jena Malone, Callan Mulvey, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Tao Okamoto
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
IMDB: 6.4/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 32 minutes
This movie could easily be placed in the category of what many of the fans have been arguing about all these years. Batman Vs Superman is the perfect creation where both of them fight hard against each other. The story begins with all the chaos brought to earth because of General Zod’s destruction to get Superman.
However, while some still despise him and think of him as the cause of all of this endangerment, some also believe in him and hope he will fix everything. That’s when Batman comes into the picture raging with anger and vengeance trying to fix all the wrongdoings of Superman.
Alas, their fight will end when they both have to face a common enemy, who is in reality much more powerful than both.
This movie is undeniably a costly one since it belongs to the Marvel cinematics which is a costly franchise to maintain in today’s date. This is one of the most expensive movies in US ever made.
11. Star Wars: The Last Jedi — $262M
Director: Rian Johnson
Writer: Rian Johnson
Cast: Benicio del Toro, Daisy Ridley, Domhnall Gleeson
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Action, Fantasy
IMDB: 6.9/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 32 minutes
Another part of the trilogy, this movie is amongst the most expensive movies in US too as it also belongs to a 42-year-old franchise and it would be a shame not to indulge the cinematics in this movie experience as well.
The mayhem continues as the galactic heroes go in different ways to achieve one goal. While Pilot Poe Dameron is happy to finish off his first Order Dreadnought, General Leia is also trying to end the resistance that started in the previous movie.
On the other hand, Rey delves into her past to make better decisions for the future and Luke tries to figure out the true essence of life and its meaning.
12. Tangled — $260M
Director: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
Writer: Dan Fogelman
Cast: Donna Murphy, Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi
Genre: Comedy, Kids, Musical
IMDB: 7.7/10
Runtime: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Rapunzel always dreams of leaving the tower she has been living in since the day she was born. When Flynn Rider tries to take refuge in the hidden tower, he meets an enchanted girl with hair so long it can reach the bottom of the tower.
The duo makes a pact where Flynn promises Rapunzel to take her to see the lights which are released on her birthday each year. Soon, he realizes that there is more to Rapunzel’s hair than just the length of it. It magically heals everything.
You must be wondering why did an animated movie cost so much money after all? The amount of precision and extra work that went into developing the story, graphics and production was already too much let alone it had to be done twice just to make sure the final version was perfect.
The animation was a combination of hand-drawn graphic images and computer flashes to create the Disney appearance.
It wouldn’t have cost more than 150 million dollars but since it had to be done twice, it galloped the extra money as well but still the is one of the most expensive movies in US ever made.
13. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince — $250M
Director: David Yates
Writer: Steve Kloves
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Evanna Lynch, Robbie Coltrane, Bonnie Wright, Jessie Cave, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Drama
IMDB: 7.6/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 33 minutes
All the potter fans must have been anxiously waiting for this title to be discussed among the expensive movies made. When Harry begins his 6th year at Hogwarts, there are many things on the top of his list except for just excelling in his wizardry.
While Voldemort’s minions are active both in Wizard and muggle world, Harry gets hold of a book that is about a half-blood prince. He gets to unlock the secrets about Voldemort’s past which can change the future and help him and Dumbledore in fighting the greater enemy.
This is by far the most expensive movie in the Harry Potter series since it involved the use of CGIs and also one of the scenes in a cave also galloped the most money in comparison to the rest of the movie’s shootings. You can also watch all the Harry Potter movies in order with the Potter villains ranked.
14. Avatar — $237M
Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron
Cast: Wes Studi, Sam Worthington, Joel David Moore
Genre: War, Adventure, Romance, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
IMDB: 7.8/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 42 minutes
One of the most thrilling movies from the time it was released. Everyone wanted to go see it in the cinemas. Following the story of a former Marine Jake Sully, he is unable to walk and uses a wheelchair however he s a warrior at heart.
It’s the year 2154 and technology has sprouted so much farther than our imagination. Traveling light years is just a blink of an eye and that’s what Jake has been called to do.
He has to initiate a mission in which his consciousness is linked to an Avatar who has to infiltrate the Na’vi living on the Pandora Moon where a source for the energy crisis on earth lies.
However, Jake goes astray from his mission when his life is saved by a female Na’vi and he learns to live with these creatures and respect them. Soon he is on the other side of the battlefield trying to make a decision to save the earth or to save this civilization.
This movie is exceptionally expensive considering today’s date especially because it was released in 2009 and the amount of technology and CGIs used in this movie is one of the first ones to ever be released in those days.
Another aspect of its budget would be the amount of 150 million dollars alone spent on its marketing and promotion.
15. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian — $225M
Director: Andrew Adamson
Writer: Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Cast: Ben Barnes, William Moseley, Alicia Borrachero, Peter Dinklage, Sergio Castellitto, Cornell John, Simón Andreu, Predrag Bjelac, Warwick Davis, Pierfrancesco Favino, Skandar Keynes, Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
IMDB: 6.5/10
Runtime: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Truly an adventurous series, the Narnia Chronicles were always part of children’s beloved movies. In this one, the siblings are back with the pull of Susan’s magic horn and see for themselves how hundreds of years have passed in the realm of Narnia.
They are devastated to learn that an evil tyrant Miraz is ruling over the kingdom and the true heir, and his nephew is sent to exile. They must help the true prince get back to his throne and also figure out their way back home.
In that decade, the effects used in making such kinds of cinematics and graphics would have cost a ton since it wasn’t even as convenient as today. However, even being so expensive this movie did not beat the profit the first movie for Narnia made.
This is the last movie on the list of the most expensive movies in US ever made.
Conclusion
The list of these movies is all exciting and thrilling to watch. While you watch these, you will now easily be able to spot where all the money actually went because now you will be paying attention more to the background and details rather than the story’s plot.
However, if you decide to watch these movies, we hope you enjoyed reading about the amount of money spent on them from top to bottom while the most expensive movies in US ever made are at the top and the rest in the following.
Chris Mack
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