Biggest Budget Movies of 2004: Cost vs Box Office
153 of the 3,145 films released in 2004 have a reported production budget. Spider-Man 2 cost the most at $200M, and earned $784.6M worldwide. Troy is next at $175M. The 20 most expensive cost $2.5B together.
- films with a budget
- 153
- most expensive
- $200M
- top 20 combined
- $2.5B
- median budget
- $30M
The 20 Most Expensive Movies of 2004: Budget vs Box Office
Spider-Man 2 cost $200M and earned $784.6M worldwide (3.9× its budget). 9 of the 20 earned at least 2.5 times their budget, a common rule of thumb for breaking even once marketing and cinema shares are paid; 3 films took less than their budget.
Which 2004 Movies Made the Most, and Least, for Their Budget?
The Passion of the Christ earned 20× its $30M budget, the best return of any 2004 film that cost $10M or more. At the other end, The Alamo took $25.8M on a $107M budget (0.2×). Worldwide cinema gross only; home video, streaming and marketing are not included.
Biggest hits for their cost
| Film | Budget | Worldwide | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Passion of the Christ $30M budget | $30M | $610.1M | 20× |
| The Grudge $10M budget | $10M | $187.3M | 19× |
| Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story $20M budget | $20M | $168.4M | 8.4× |
| Mean Girls $17M budget | $17M | $130.2M | 7.7× |
| Million Dollar Baby $30M budget | $30M | $216.8M | 7.2× |
| The Incredibles $92M budget | $92M | $631.7M | 6.9× |
| Sideways $16M budget | $16M | $109.7M | 6.9× |
| Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason $40M budget | $40M | $265.1M | 6.6× |
Biggest flops for their cost
| Film | Budget | Worldwide | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Alamo $107M budget | $107M | $25.8M | 0.2× |
| Envy $40M budget | $40M | $14.5M | 0.4× |
| Welcome to Mooseport $30M budget | $30M | $14.6M | 0.5× |
| Thunderbirds $57M budget | $57M | $28.3M | 0.5× |
| Alfie $60M budget | $60M | $35.1M | 0.6× |
| Little Black Book $35M budget | $35M | $22M | 0.6× |
| The Whole Ten Yards $40M budget | $40M | $26.2M | 0.7× |
| Around the World in 80 Days $110M budget | $110M | $72.7M | 0.7× |
How Much Did 2004 Movies Cost to Make?
153 films released in 2004 have a reported budget, 5% of all 3,145. The biggest group cost between $10M and $50M (49%); the median is $30M, and 19 films cost $100M or more.
- Under $10M 31 films · 20%
- $10M–$50M 75 films · 49%
- $50M–$100M 28 films · 18%
- $100M–$200M 18 films · 12%
- $200M and up 1 film · <1%
Are Movie Budgets Growing? Top-10 Average by Year
The ten most expensive films of 2004 cost $147.5M on average, rank 23 of 27 years since 2000; 2022 is the peak at $259.5M. Each year links to its own list.
- 2000 #1: The Perfect Storm$112.4M
- 2001 #1: Pearl Harbor$118.9M
- 2002 #1: Die Another Day$121.3M
- 2003 #1: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines$142.7M
- 2004 #1: Spider-Man 2$147.5M
- 2005 #1: King Kong$151M
- 2006 #1: Superman Returns$169.4M
- 2007 #1: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End$182.3M
- 2008 #1: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian$172.5M
- 2009 #1: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince$196.2M
- 2010 #1: Tangled$186M
- 2011 #1: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides$176.3M
- 2012 #1: The Dark Knight Rises$210.4M
- 2013 #1: Man of Steel$196.5M
- 2014 #1: Transformers: Age Of Extinction$178.1M
- 2015 #1: Avengers: Age of Ultron$186.6M
- 2016 #1: Captain America: Civil War$194.8M
- 2017 #1: Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi$223.1M
- 2018 #1: Avengers: Infinity War$203.1M
- 2019 #1: Avengers: Endgame$234.4M
- 2020 #1: Tenet$155.5M
- 2021 #1: Zack Snyder's Justice League$215M
- 2022 #1: Avatar: The Way of Water$259.5M
- 2023 #1: Fast X$251.8M
- 2024 #1: Red One$200.8M
- 2025 #1: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning$255.5M
- 2026 #1: Spider-Man: Brand New Day$207M
- 2000 (#1: The Perfect Storm): $112.4M
- 2001 (#1: Pearl Harbor): $118.9M
- 2002 (#1: Die Another Day): $121.3M
- 2003 (#1: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines): $142.7M
- 2004 (#1: Spider-Man 2): $147.5M
- 2005 (#1: King Kong): $151M
- 2006 (#1: Superman Returns): $169.4M
- 2007 (#1: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End): $182.3M
- 2008 (#1: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian): $172.5M
- 2009 (#1: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince): $196.2M
- 2010 (#1: Tangled): $186M
- 2011 (#1: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides): $176.3M
- 2012 (#1: The Dark Knight Rises): $210.4M
- 2013 (#1: Man of Steel): $196.5M
- 2014 (#1: Transformers: Age Of Extinction): $178.1M
- 2015 (#1: Avengers: Age of Ultron): $186.6M
- 2016 (#1: Captain America: Civil War): $194.8M
- 2017 (#1: Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi): $223.1M
- 2018 (#1: Avengers: Infinity War): $203.1M
- 2019 (#1: Avengers: Endgame): $234.4M
- 2020 (#1: Tenet): $155.5M
- 2021 (#1: Zack Snyder's Justice League): $215M
- 2022 (#1: Avatar: The Way of Water): $259.5M
- 2023 (#1: Fast X): $251.8M
- 2024 (#1: Red One): $200.8M
- 2025 (#1: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning): $255.5M
- 2026 (#1: Spider-Man: Brand New Day): $207M
Which Genres Got the Biggest Budgets in 2004?
Action films account for the most spending in 2004: $2.7B across 36 films, $73.7M on average. Thriller follows with $2.4B. A film with several genres counts in each.
-
Action $2.7B36 films · $73.7M average -
Thriller $2.4B52 films · $46.9M average -
Comedy $2.4B65 films · $36.9M average -
Drama $2.4B71 films · $33.3M average -
Adventure $2.1B28 films · $74.6M average -
Romance $1.6B45 films · $35.7M average -
Fantasy $1.2B14 films · $88.2M average -
Family $1.2B20 films · $59.3M average -
Mystery $1.1B23 films · $45.7M average -
Sci-Fi $936M14 films · $66.9M average
Biggest Budget Movies of 2004: Questions & Answers
Quick answers about what 2004's films cost and earned, from the lists above.
What was the most expensive movie of 2004?
Spider-Man 2 (2004), with a reported production budget of $200M. Troy is second at $175M.
About Spider-Man 2 Which 2004 movie made the most money for its budget?
Among 2004 films that cost $10M or more, The Passion of the Christ (2004) earned $610.1M worldwide on a $30M budget, 20× what it cost.
What was the biggest box office flop of 2004?
Measured by worldwide gross against budget, The Alamo (2004) took $25.8M on a $107M budget (0.2×), the weakest return of any 2004 film that cost $30M or more.
How much did a 2004 movie cost to make?
The median reported budget of the 153 films released in 2004 with one is $30M. The 20 most expensive cost $2.5B together, and 19 films cost $100M or more.
Which budgets are counted?
Reported production budgets up to $500M. A budget of $30M or more also needs a box office record, a Metascore or an award nomination, and a budget of $100M or more that earned back less than 15% of it only counts for a widely seen English-language film. These checks filter out budgets stored in another currency. Marketing costs are not included.