Budgets · 2005

Biggest Budget Movies of 2005: Cost vs Box Office

Q: What was the most expensive movie of 2005?

King Kong (2005), with a reported production budget of $207M. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is second at $180M.

Q: Which 2005 movie made the most money for its budget?

Among 2005 films that cost $10M or more, Brokeback Mountain (2005) earned $178.1M worldwide on a $14M budget, 13× what it cost.

Q: What was the biggest box office flop of 2005?

Measured by worldwide gross against budget, The Great Raid (2005) took $10.8M on a $80M budget (0.1×), the weakest return of any 2005 film that cost $30M or more.

Q: How much did a 2005 movie cost to make?

The median reported budget of the 158 films released in 2005 with one is $27M. The 20 most expensive cost $2.5B together, and 15 films cost $100M or more.

Q: 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.

158 of the 3,441 films released in 2005 have a reported production budget. King Kong cost the most at $207M, and earned $556.9M worldwide. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is next at $180M. The 20 most expensive cost $2.5B together.

films with a budget: 158
most expensive: $207M
top 20 combined: $2.5B
median budget: $27M

Cost vs earnings

The 20 Most Expensive Movies of 2005: Budget vs Box Office

King Kong cost $207M and earned $556.9M worldwide (2.7× 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; 2 films took less than their budget.

King Kong 2.7×
Budget $207M Worldwide $556.9M
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 4.1×
Budget $180M Worldwide $745M
Batman Begins 2.5×
Budget $150M Worldwide $375.4M
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 6.0×
Budget $150M Worldwide $897.5M
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 3.2×
Budget $150M Worldwide $475M
Chicken Little 2.1×
Budget $150M Worldwide $314.4M
Stealth 0.6×
Budget $135M Worldwide $79.3M
War of the Worlds 4.6×
Budget $132M Worldwide $603.9M
Kingdom of Heaven 1.7×
Budget $130M Worldwide $218.4M
The Island 1.3×
Budget $126M Worldwide $162.9M
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith 8.0×
Budget $113M Worldwide $905.6M
Mr. & Mrs. Smith 4.4×
Budget $110M Worldwide $487.3M
Constantine 2.3×
Budget $100M Worldwide $230.9M
Fun with Dick and Jane 2.0×
Budget $100M Worldwide $204.7M
Fantastic Four 3.3×
Budget $100M Worldwide $333.5M
Cinderella Man 1.2×
Budget $88M Worldwide $108.5M
The Brothers Grimm 1.2×
Budget $88M Worldwide $105.3M
Memoirs of a Geisha 1.9×
Budget $85M Worldwide $162.2M
Bewitched 1.5×
Budget $85M Worldwide $131.4M
Son of the Mask 0.7×
Budget $84M Worldwide $60M

Return on budget

Which 2005 Movies Made the Most, and Least, for Their Budget?

Brokeback Mountain earned 13× its $14M budget, the best return of any 2005 film that cost $10M or more. At the other end, The Great Raid took $10.8M on a $80M budget (0.1×). Worldwide cinema gross only; home video, streaming and marketing are not included.

Biggest hits for their cost

Film	Budget	Worldwide	Return
Brokeback Mountain $14M budget	$14M	$178.1M	13×
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith $113M budget	$113M	$905.6M	8.0×
The Exorcism of Emily Rose $19M budget	$19M	$145.2M	7.6×
Wedding Crashers $40M budget	$40M	$288.5M	7.2×
The 40 Year Old Virgin $26M budget	$26M	$177.4M	6.8×
Walk the Line $28M budget	$28M	$186.8M	6.7×
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit $30M budget	$30M	$192.8M	6.4×
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire $150M budget	$150M	$897.5M	6.0×

Biggest flops for their cost

Film	Budget	Worldwide	Return
The Great Raid $80M budget	$80M	$10.8M	0.1×
A Sound of Thunder $80M budget	$80M	$11.7M	0.1×
Rebound $33.1M budget	$33.1M	$17.5M	0.5×
Stealth $135M budget	$135M	$79.3M	0.6×
An Unfinished Life $30M budget	$30M	$18.6M	0.6×
Oliver Twist $60M budget	$60M	$42.6M	0.7×
Son of the Mask $84M budget	$84M	$60M	0.7×
North Country $35M budget	$35M	$25.2M	0.7×

Budget spread

How Much Did 2005 Movies Cost to Make?

158 films released in 2005 have a reported budget, 5% of all 3,441. Most cost between $10M and $50M (53%); the median is $27M, and 15 films cost $100M or more.

Under $10M 33 films · 21%
$10M–$50M 83 films · 53%
$50M–$100M 27 films · 17%
$100M–$200M 14 films · 9%
$200M and up 1 film · <1%

Since 2000

Are Movie Budgets Growing? Top-10 Average by Year

The ten most expensive films of 2005 cost $151M on average, rank 22 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

By genre

Which Genres Got the Biggest Budgets in 2005?

Drama films account for the most spending in 2005: $2.5B across 86 films, $29.6M on average. Adventure follows with $2.4B. A film with several genres counts in each.

Drama $2.5B
86 films · $29.6M average
Adventure $2.4B
33 films · $73M average
Comedy $2.3B
62 films · $37.2M average
Thriller $2.1B
49 films · $43.2M average
Action $1.9B
29 films · $66.1M average
Family $1.5B
28 films · $52.9M average
Romance $1.5B
41 films · $36M average
Fantasy $1.4B
19 films · $72.6M average
Sci-Fi $1.3B
17 films · $74.8M average
Crime $805.8M
26 films · $31M average

FAQ

Biggest Budget Movies of 2005: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about what 2005's films cost and earned, from the lists above.

What was the most expensive movie of 2005?

King Kong (2005), with a reported production budget of $207M. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is second at $180M.

About King Kong

Which 2005 movie made the most money for its budget?

Among 2005 films that cost $10M or more, Brokeback Mountain (2005) earned $178.1M worldwide on a $14M budget, 13× what it cost.

What was the biggest box office flop of 2005?

Measured by worldwide gross against budget, The Great Raid (2005) took $10.8M on a $80M budget (0.1×), the weakest return of any 2005 film that cost $30M or more.

How much did a 2005 movie cost to make?

The median reported budget of the 158 films released in 2005 with one is $27M. The 20 most expensive cost $2.5B together, and 15 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.