The most expensive movie ever made to date is "Jurassic World: Dominion," with a confirmed production budget of $584 million, making it the highest in film history as of 2025.

Recent Record Holders

• "Jurassic World: Dominion" set the latest record due to pandemic shutdowns, extensive visual effects, cast quarantines, and strict safety protocols.

• Prior record holders include "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" with a $447 million production budget, and "Avatar: The Way of Water," with estimates reaching up to $460 million.

• Large-scale franchises like "Avengers: Endgame" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" have also had budgets well above $350 million.

Why These Films Cost So Much

• Major factors include elaborate CGI and animatronics, large ensemble cast salaries, international shoots, and massive marketing campaigns.

• Specific circumstances like pandemic protocols and cast quarantine requirements significantly increased costs for movies produced after 2020.

• Innovations such as underwater performance capture and high-frame-rate technology contributed to high budgets for movies like "Avatar: The Way of Water".

Notable Upcoming Records

• Rumors suggest future films, such as the MCU’s "Avengers: Doomsday," may surpass these records, with projections of an unprecedented $1 billion budget, though these numbers are not yet finalized for released films.

Movie Title| Estimated Budget (USD millions)
---|---
Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)| 584 1
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)| 447 13
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)| 350–460 13
Avengers: Endgame (2019)| 356 13
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)| 379 1

Currently, "Jurassic World: Dominion" holds the top spot as the most expensive movie ever made.