Movie Budget and Financial Performance Records
Note: Budget numbers for movies can be both difficult to find and unreliable. Studios often try to keep the information secret and will use accounting tricks to inflate or reduce announced budgets.
The data we have is, to the best of our knowledge, accurate but there are gaps and disputed figures. If you have additional information or corrections, please let us know at corrections@the-numbers.com.
A complete list of all movies for which we have budget information can be found here.
Note: The profit and loss figures are very rough estimates based on domestic and international box office earnings and domestic video sales, extrapolated to estimate worldwide income to the studio, after deducting retail costs. Estimated expenses are based on the domestic theatrical distribution pattern of the film. More detailed financial analysis of films is available through our research services.
Biggest Budgets
| Release Date | Movie | Production Budget | Domestic Gross | Worldwide Gross | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 18, 2015 | Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens | $533,200,000 | $936,662,225 | $2,056,046,835 |
| 2 | Dec 16, 2022 | Avatar: The Way of Water | $460,000,000 | $684,075,767 | $2,317,514,386 |
| 3 | Jun 30, 2023 | Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | $402,300,000 | $174,480,468 | $383,963,057 |
| 4 | Apr 26, 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | $400,000,000 | $858,373,000 | $2,748,242,781 |
| 5 | May 20, 2011 | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | $379,000,000 | $241,071,802 | $1,045,713,802 |
| 6 | May 1, 2015 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | $365,000,000 | $459,005,868 | $1,395,316,979 |
| 7 | May 19, 2023 | Fast X | $340,000,000 | $146,126,015 | $714,567,285 |
| 8 | May 25, 2018 | Solo: A Star Wars Story | $330,400,000 | $213,767,512 | $393,151,347 |
| 9 | May 24, 2007 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End | $300,000,000 | $309,420,425 | $960,996,492 |
| 10 | Apr 27, 2018 | Avengers: Infinity War | $300,000,000 | $678,815,482 | $2,048,359,754 |
| 11 | Nov 17, 2017 | Justice League | $300,000,000 | $229,024,295 | $655,945,209 |
| 12 | Jul 12, 2023 | Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One | $290,000,000 | $172,640,980 | $566,644,143 |
| 13 | Dec 16, 2016 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | $280,200,000 | $533,539,991 | $1,055,083,596 |
| 14 | Dec 20, 2019 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | $275,000,000 | $515,202,542 | $1,069,951,814 |
| 15 | Nov 10, 2023 | The Marvels | $274,800,000 | $84,500,223 | $199,706,250 |
| 16 | Mar 9, 2012 | John Carter | $263,700,000 | $73,058,679 | $282,778,100 |
| 17 | Mar 25, 2016 | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | $263,000,000 | $330,360,194 | $872,395,091 |
| 18 | Dec 15, 2017 | Star Wars Ep. VIII: The Last Jedi | $262,000,000 | $620,181,382 | $1,322,581,071 |
| 19 | Nov 24, 2010 | Tangled | $260,000,000 | $200,821,936 | $582,440,151 |
| 20 | Jul 19, 2019 | The Lion King | $260,000,000 | $543,638,043 | $1,661,454,403 |
Movies With Lowest Budgets to Earn $1 Million at US Box Office
| Release Date | Movie | Production Budget | Domestic Gross | Worldwide Gross | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 26, 1993 | El Mariachi | $7,000 | $2,040,920 | $2,041,928 |
| 2 | Jan 13, 2023 | Skinamarink | $15,000 | $2,052,272 | $2,131,183 |
| 3 | Aug 1, 1991 | Slacker | $23,000 | $1,227,508 | $1,227,508 |
| 4 | Jun 30, 1972 | Deep Throat | $25,000 | $45,000,000 | $45,000,000 |
| 5 | Aug 1, 1997 | In the Company of Men | $25,000 | $2,883,661 | $2,883,661 |
| 6 | Oct 19, 1994 | Clerks | $27,000 | $3,073,428 | $3,894,240 |
| 7 | Aug 9, 1995 | The Brothers McMullen | $50,000 | $10,426,506 | $10,426,506 |
| 8 | Mar 16, 2001 | Gabriela | $50,000 | $2,335,352 | $2,335,352 |
| 9 | May 7, 2004 | Super Size Me | $65,000 | $11,529,368 | $22,233,808 |
| 10 | May 1, 2020 | The Wretched | $66,000 | $1,815,440 | $4,594,221 |
| 11 | Jul 10, 1998 | Pi | $68,000 | $3,221,152 | $4,678,513 |
| 12 | Aug 30, 1972 | The Last House on the Left | $87,000 | $3,100,000 | $3,100,000 |
| 13 | Jan 1, 1977 | Eraserhead | $100,000 | $7,000,000 | $7,097,971 |
| 14 | Sep 29, 2006 | Facing the Giants | $100,000 | $10,178,331 | $10,243,159 |
| 15 | Mar 1, 1987 | Hollywood Shuffle | $100,000 | $5,228,617 | $5,228,617 |
| 16 | Oct 9, 1998 | The Mighty | $100,000 | $2,652,246 | $6,121,582 |
| 17 | Sep 17, 1920 | Over the Hill to the Poorhouse | $100,000 | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| 18 | Jul 10, 2015 | The Gallows | $100,000 | $22,764,410 | $41,656,474 |
| 19 | Jul 7, 2017 | A Ghost Story | $100,000 | $1,594,798 | $2,769,782 |
| 20 | Feb 8, 1915 | The Birth of a Nation | $110,000 | $10,000,000 | $11,000,000 |
Most Profitable Movies, Based on Absolute Profit on Worldwide Gross
| Release Date | Movie | Approx. Income | Approx. Expense | Profit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 18, 2009 | Avatar | $1,894,378,916 | $339,782,000 | $1,554,596,916 |
| 2 | Apr 26, 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | $1,481,985,620 | $475,560,000 | $1,006,425,620 |
| 3 | Nov 22, 2013 | Frozen | $1,053,766,105 | $251,332,000 | $802,434,105 |
| 4 | Apr 27, 2018 | Avengers: Infinity War | $1,128,265,870 | $368,812,000 | $759,453,870 |
| 5 | Dec 19, 1997 | Titanic | $1,111,524,393 | $386,368,000 | $725,156,393 |
| 6 | May 4, 2012 | The Avengers | $1,009,583,606 | $300,290,000 | $709,293,606 |
| 7 | Jun 12, 2015 | Jurassic World | $985,785,527 | $288,056,000 | $697,729,527 |
| 8 | Dec 17, 2021 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | $1,006,777,848 | $328,108,000 | $678,669,848 |
| 9 | Jul 15, 2011 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II | $813,834,593 | $177,306,000 | $636,528,593 |
| 10 | Dec 16, 2022 | Avatar: The Way of Water | $1,177,249,950 | $556,702,000 | $620,547,950 |
| 11 | Dec 18, 2015 | Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens | $1,219,180,881 | $608,904,000 | $610,276,881 |
| 12 | Jul 3, 2013 | Despicable Me 2 | $737,714,023 | $143,056,000 | $594,658,023 |
| 13 | Apr 3, 2015 | Furious 7 | $828,342,113 | $245,578,000 | $582,764,113 |
| 14 | Nov 22, 2019 | Frozen II | $807,290,673 | $226,594,000 | $580,696,673 |
| 15 | Jul 7, 2006 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest | $863,848,058 | $293,790,000 | $570,058,058 |
| 16 | Jun 14, 2024 | Inside Out 2 | $848,097,508 | $281,230,000 | $566,867,508 |
| 17 | Jul 10, 2015 | Minions | $704,406,502 | $141,424,000 | $562,982,502 |
| 18 | Jul 18, 2008 | The Dark Knight | $804,839,965 | $263,340,000 | $541,499,965 |
| 19 | Jul 19, 2019 | The Lion King | $882,875,942 | $341,924,000 | $540,951,942 |
| 20 | Jun 18, 2010 | Toy Story 3 | $794,471,173 | $267,398,000 | $527,073,173 |
Note: The profit and loss figures are very rough estimates based on domestic and international box office earnings and domestic video sales, extrapolated to estimate worldwide income to the studio, after deducting retail costs. Estimated expenses are based on the domestic theatrical distribution pattern of the film. More detailed financial analysis of films is available through our research services. The highlighted records in above table are movies that were recently released and/or movies for which we do not have complete data yet. More data and/or additional revenue can result into this movie making more profit and moving up on this list. Movies released in 2005 or earlier are highlighted because we don't have home market data before 2006.
Most Profitable Movies, Based on Return on Investment
| Release Date | Movie | Approx. Profit | Production Budget | RoI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 21, 1980 | Mad Max | $49,675,000 | $200,000 | 24,738% |
| 2 | Sep 29, 2006 | Facing the Giants | $24,790,585 | $100,000 | 24,691% |
| 3 | Sep 25, 2009 | Paranormal Activity | $89,963,393 | $450,000 | 19,892% |
| 4 | Oct 6, 2009 | A Charlie Brown Christmas | $23,860,949 | $150,000 | 15,807% |
| 5 | Feb 26, 1993 | El Mariachi | $1,013,964 | $7,000 | 14,385% |
| 6 | Jul 14, 1999 | The Blair Witch Project | $83,224,000 | $600,000 | 13,771% |
| 7 | Oct 17, 1978 | Halloween | $33,250,000 | $325,000 | 10,131% |
| 8 | May 7, 2004 | Super Size Me | $6,427,904 | $65,000 | 9,789% |
| 9 | Sep 26, 2008 | Fireproof | $47,736,020 | $500,000 | 9,447% |
| 10 | Jul 10, 2015 | The Gallows | $6,930,326 | $100,000 | 6,830% |
| 11 | Jan 1, 1977 | Eraserhead | $5,365,950 | $100,000 | 5,266% |
| 12 | May 9, 1980 | Friday the 13th | $27,073,301 | $550,000 | 4,822% |
| 13 | May 24, 2006 | An Inconvenient Truth | $48,258,679 | $1,000,000 | 4,726% |
| 14 | May 1, 1981 | Graduation Day | $11,697,000 | $250,000 | 4,579% |
| 15 | May 16, 2007 | Once | $6,626,190 | $150,000 | 4,317% |
| 16 | Apr 23, 2009 | Home | $21,868,584 | $500,000 | 4,274% |
| 17 | Apr 15, 1983 | The Evil Dead | $14,325,000 | $375,000 | 3,720% |
| 18 | Jan 6, 2012 | The Devil Inside | $37,481,882 | $1,000,000 | 3,648% |
| 19 | Oct 7, 2005 | Waiting... | $38,013,947 | $1,125,000 | 3,279% |
| 20 | Mar 21, 2014 | God’s Not Dead | $36,764,152 | $1,150,000 | 3,097% |
Note: The profit and loss figures are very rough estimates based on domestic and international box office earnings and domestic video sales, extrapolated to estimate worldwide income to the studio, after deducting retail costs. Estimated expenses are based on the domestic theatrical distribution pattern of the film. More detailed financial analysis of films is available through our research services. The highlighted records in above table are movies that were recently released and/or movies for which we do not have complete data yet. More data and/or additional revenue can result into this movie making more profit and moving up on this list. Movies released in 2005 or earlier are highlighted because we don't have home market data before 2006. For this list only movies with an initial release in 1977 or more recently are considered.
Biggest Money Losers, Based on Absolute Loss on Worldwide Earnings
| Release Date | Movie | Approx. Income | Approx. Expense | Profit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 11, 2022 | Turning Red | $8,255,310 | $181,240,000 | -$172,984,690 |
| 2 | Jul 30, 2021 | Jungle Cruise | $114,063,517 | $264,216,000 | -$150,152,483 |
| 3 | Mar 11, 2011 | Mars Needs Moms | $26,787,645 | $170,166,000 | -$143,378,355 |
| 4 | Sep 4, 2020 | Mulan | $59,342,738 | $200,000,000 | -$140,657,262 |
| 5 | Feb 4, 2022 | Moonfall | $32,761,359 | $170,784,000 | -$138,022,641 |
| 6 | Dec 25, 2020 | Wonder Woman 1984 | $122,403,635 | $258,940,000 | -$136,536,365 |
| 7 | Nov 23, 2022 | Strange World | $37,417,482 | $172,646,000 | -$135,228,518 |
| 8 | Dec 22, 2021 | The Matrix Resurrections | $88,351,797 | $218,710,000 | -$130,358,203 |
| 9 | Mar 6, 2020 | Onward | $87,045,962 | $217,240,000 | -$130,194,038 |
| 10 | May 25, 2018 | Solo: A Star Wars Story | $252,680,140 | $375,538,000 | -$122,857,860 |
| 11 | Jun 17, 2022 | Lightyear | $113,084,117 | $235,160,000 | -$122,075,883 |
| 12 | Aug 5, 2021 | The Suicide Squad | $99,435,403 | $218,942,000 | -$119,506,597 |
| 13 | Mar 9, 2012 | John Carter | $183,368,556 | $295,824,000 | -$112,455,444 |
| 14 | May 12, 2017 | King Arthur: Legend of the Sword | $87,181,729 | $199,580,000 | -$112,398,271 |
| 15 | Sep 30, 2016 | Deepwater Horizon | $77,106,511 | $189,348,000 | -$112,241,489 |
| 16 | Mar 5, 2021 | Chaos Walking | $16,846,793 | $128,552,000 | -$111,705,207 |
| 17 | Jul 16, 2021 | Space Jam: A New Legacy | $76,609,887 | $187,638,000 | -$111,028,113 |
| 18 | Jan 13, 2017 | Monster Trucks | $40,619,872 | $149,450,000 | -$108,830,128 |
| 19 | Dec 10, 2021 | West Side Story | $38,795,749 | $143,240,000 | -$104,444,251 |
| 20 | Dec 17, 2010 | How Do You Know? | $36,212,826 | $140,454,000 | -$104,241,174 |
Note: The profit and loss figures are very rough estimates based on domestic and international box office earnings and domestic video sales, extrapolated to estimate worldwide income to the studio, after deducting retail costs. Estimated expenses are based on the domestic theatrical distribution pattern of the film. More detailed financial analysis of films is available through our research services.