Top 10 Most Expensive Movies in the World

Movies cost a ton of money to make, with budgets required for sets, crew and, of course, the cast.

Most are granted strict budgets based on forecasted box office figures, although studios will occasionally go all out and gamble huge amounts of money in the hope of making astronomical money at the movie theater. Here are the ten most expensive movies ever made.

10. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Production budget: $291,937,270

Worldwide gross: $1,151,229,781

Production expenses for The “Dark Knight” sequel directed by Christopher Nolan were evenly divided between Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. The rising costs of the franchise reportedly caused tension between the two companies.

9. John Carter (2012)

Production budget: $291,937,270

Worldwide gross: $300,194,423

“John Carter” is considered to be a costly flop in Hollywood circles. Director Andrew Stanton reportedly had to reshoot substantial portions of the Disney movie twice.

8. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Production budget: $299,329,633

Worldwide gross: $1,038,210,016

The marketing costs for “Spider-Man 3” were substantial. The movie played on 4,252 screens in the U.S. alone, more than any previous Hollywood film up to that point.

7. Justice League (2017)

Production budget: $300,000,000

Worldwide gross: $655,953,446

The budget for “Justice League” soared to more than $300 million because of reshoots, according to Forbes, with another $150 million spent on marketing.

6. Spectre (2015)

Production budget: $308,702,880

Worldwide gross: $905,138,374

“Spectre” is the most expensive James Bond movie ever made, with marketing and promotion costs of as much as $100 million. Other items that drove up production cost were Bond’s Tom Ford wardrobe, Bond’s Omega watches, and Bond's Aston Martin DB10 prototype car that is worth $4.6 million.

5. Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens (2015)

Production budget: $314,876,938

Worldwide gross: $2,118,383,192

About $40 million in production budget went to paying stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher.

4. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Production budget: $340,190,574

Worldwide gross: $1,449,070,584

Computer-generated imagery and shooting locations in five countries — Italy, South Korea, South Africa, Bangladesh, and England — helped drive up costs for this Marvel franchise.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

Production budget: $348,057,713

Worldwide gross: $1,117,753,031

“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” was the costliest movie ever made when it was released in 2007 because of rising location, special effects, and star costs.

2. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Production budget: $444,142,183

Worldwide gross: $1,131,084,842

One of the biggest costs of making this fourth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was paying for staff and actors. Star Johnny Depp is believed to have received $55 million.

1. Avatar (2009)

Production budget: $478,792,250

Worldwide gross: $3,136,279,608

Avatar is the most expensive movie ever made, with $150 million spent on marketing and promotion alone. The biggest expenses were new film-making techniques and graphics as well as the creation of a new language that involved hiring a linguist.