The 05 Most Expensive Hollywood Movies Ever

1. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Director: Sam Raimi

Cost of production: $258 million USD

When Spider-Man was released in 2002, it almost singlehandedly laid the groundwork for the current superhero boom. But, then they just started throwing money at the franchise…And unfortunately, making expensive, flagship superhero sequels is no small or simple feat. Production for the movie dragged on into late summer where it had been scheduled to conclude in June, pushing up the costs dramatically. On top of that, there was the huge cost of CGI, the web-slinging set pieces, the star salaries and – of course – the marketing and promotion campaign costs.

After Spidey 2 had a hard time convincing fans that an ageing arachnid fan was still living in a single bedsit and popping round to his Aunt May’s house for some home-cooking before climbing into the old red-blue Spandex for the evening, the studio probably didn’t have much of a choice on the whopping marketing budget. And, unfortunately, despite Spider-Man 2 costing $250 million to produce and Spider-Man 3 even more, the critical reception just didn’t pay off.

What else could you buy for that: 7,325,000 bungee ropes, at $40 USD a go.

1. Tangled (2010)

Director: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard

Cost of production: $260 million USD

Tangled was so expensive mainly because of how long it took to get the story right. It took about ten years of multiple aborted attempts at the movie, each of which got pretty far in before they scrapped everything and started again. Much of the budget included redesigning versions of previously-attempted flick Rapunzel, dating back to 2000, that were never produced. What’s more, extensive research was done to develop the animation process that allowed the CGI to evoke some of the qualities of traditional hand-drawn Disney characters – animating all of that blonde hair must’ve been quite the ordeal.

An entertaining if rather forgettable Disney animation that in no way earned its colossal budget, Tangled eventually bagged a profit when it was released in international theaters, but it’s still pretty mind-boggling how much cash they spent on this one.

What else could you buy for that: 2,810,000,000 crayons for $0.10 USD each.

1. John Carter (2012)

Director: Andrew Stanton

Cost of production: $263 million USD

The cost of John Carter was – with no better way to say it – ridiculous. It left Disney somewhere around $200 million out of pocket, making it the company’s biggest flop of all time. The personal cost of the film also wasn’t so small. Rich Ross – the former chairman of Walt Disney Studios – decided to resign just a month after the movie was released, while Disney lost the rights to produce the rest of Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc’s back catalogue after refusing to produce any John Carter sequels (Disney probably had the right idea on that one…).

What’s more, director Stanton began shooting the movie with Taylor Kitsch as the eponymous lead. But, thanks to various problems in post-production, Stanton was forced to shoot much of the movie twice – which, of course – soon saw the budget spiral out of control. In fact, John Carter would’ve had to make somewhere around $600 million just to break even. It didn’t even come close. Poor Stanton… Nobody wants to discover their own limitations on such a global stage.

What else could you buy for that: 16,941,176 leather loincloths at $17 USD a shred.

1. Waterworld (1995)

Director: Kevin Reynolds

Cost of production: $271 million USD

Kevin Costner lived on a trimaran in the middle of the ocean, that was once Earth before all the ice caps melted and dry land became a distant memory…Much like Hollywood blockbusters that cost less than $200 million USD. The Costner-starring flick of 1995 was the most expensive movie ever produced, at the time. Costner invested over $20 million of his personal funds into the film for which shooting took place aboard a gigantic 400-foot diameter atoll, specifically built for the production somewhere off the coast of Hawaii. The spectacular, 1000-ton floating set – over a quarter of a mile in circumference – also swallowed a lot of the movie’s budget given that it required aerial filming via seaplanes and helicopters. Not to mention the fact that whoever was on weather lookout duty at the time failed spectacularly in their job – the proof for which came in the form of three huge hurricanes that sank the entire set.

Despite Waterworld’s futuristic setting, critics were by-and-large unimpressed by the wet performances. In fact, it’s probably the most famous flop in recent film history; the post-apocalyptic movie took just $88 million at the US box office, despite it’s crazy production spend.

What else could you buy for that: 2,084,615 inflatable four-person dinghies at $130 USD each.

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

Director: Rob Marshall

Cost of production: $397 million USD

Despite the very agreeable box office returns, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was no cheap date. 2007 and 2006’s Gore Verbinski-directed Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End cost $263 million and $341 million, respectively, with On Stranger Tides landing a slot as the most expensive long shot – with Jack Sparrow and Barbossa’s quest to find the elusive fountain of youth costing nearly $400 million.

Regardless of the huge production costs (Depp’s payment was an estimated $55,000,000…Well, hey, someone has to pay for that accessorising) the box office-busting Pirates of the Caribbean flicks have been the most extraordinary cash cow, and since the first time we saw Johnny Depp parading around with beaded dreads and guy-liner in 2003, the Disney execs behind the franchise have been simultaneously wading around in gold up to their armpits.

What else could you buy for that amount: 24,812,500 kohl eye pencils at $16 USD a pop.