Budgets · 2006

Biggest Budget Movies of 2006: Cost vs Box Office

145 of the 3,838 films released in 2006 have a reported production budget. Superman Returns cost the most at $270M, and earned $391.1M worldwide. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is next at $225M. The 20 most expensive cost $2.6B together.

films with a budget: 145
most expensive: $270M
top 20 combined: $2.6B
median budget: $24M

Cost vs earnings

The 20 Most Expensive Movies of 2006: Budget vs Box Office

Superman Returns cost $270M and earned $391.1M worldwide (1.4× 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; 1 film took less than its budget.

Superman Returns 1.4×
Budget $270M Worldwide $391.1M
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 4.7×
Budget $225M Worldwide $1.1B
X-Men: The Last Stand 2.2×
Budget $210M Worldwide $460.4M
Poseidon 1.1×
Budget $160M Worldwide $181.7M
Casino Royale 4.1×
Budget $150M Worldwide $616.6M
Mission: Impossible III 2.7×
Budget $150M Worldwide $398.5M
Flushed Away 1.2×
Budget $149M Worldwide $178.3M
Miami Vice 1.2×
Budget $135M Worldwide $163.8M
The Da Vinci Code 6.1×
Budget $125M Worldwide $760M
Cars 3.8×
Budget $120M Worldwide $462M
Happy Feet 3.8×
Budget $100M Worldwide $384.3M
Blood Diamond 1.7×
Budget $100M Worldwide $171.7M
Eragon 2.5×
Budget $100M Worldwide $250.4M
The Departed 3.2×
Budget $90M Worldwide $291.5M
Flags of Our Fathers 0.7×
Budget $90M Worldwide $65.9M
Arthur and the Invisibles 1.3×
Budget $86M Worldwide $108.6M
The Holiday 2.4×
Budget $85M Worldwide $205.2M
Charlotte's Web 1.8×
Budget $85M Worldwide $149M
Open Season 2.4×
Budget $85M Worldwide $200.8M
Click 2.9×
Budget $82.5M Worldwide $240.7M

Return on budget

Which 2006 Movies Made the Most, and Least, for Their Budget?

Saw III earned 16× its $10M budget, the best return of any 2006 film that cost $10M or more. At the other end, All the King's Men took $9.5M on a $55M budget (0.2×). Worldwide cinema gross only; home video, streaming and marketing are not included.

Biggest hits for their cost

Film	Budget	Worldwide	Return
Saw III $10M budget	$10M	$164.9M	16×
Step Up $12M budget	$12M	$114.2M	9.5×
The Devil Wears Prada $35M budget	$35M	$326.7M	9.3×
Ice Age: The Meltdown $80M budget	$80M	$667.1M	8.3×
Jackass Number Two $11.5M budget	$11.5M	$84.6M	7.4×
Rocky Balboa $24M budget	$24M	$155.9M	6.5×
The Da Vinci Code $125M budget	$125M	$760M	6.1×
The Pursuit of Happyness $55M budget	$55M	$307.1M	5.6×

Biggest flops for their cost

Film	Budget	Worldwide	Return
All the King's Men $55M budget	$55M	$9.5M	0.2×
Flyboys $60M budget	$60M	$17.9M	0.3×
The Fountain $35M budget	$35M	$16.5M	0.5×
School for Scoundrels $35M budget	$35M	$24.5M	0.7×
Flags of Our Fathers $90M budget	$90M	$65.9M	0.7×
Children of Men $76M budget	$76M	$70.6M	0.9×
Last Holiday $45M budget	$45M	$43.5M	1.0×
The Wicker Man $40M budget	$40M	$38.8M	1.0×

Budget spread

How Much Did 2006 Movies Cost to Make?

145 films released in 2006 have a reported budget, 4% of all 3,838. The biggest group cost between $10M and $50M (47%); the median is $24M, and 13 films cost $100M or more.

Under $10M 34 films · 23%
$10M–$50M 68 films · 47%
$50M–$100M 30 films · 21%
$100M–$200M 10 films · 7%
$200M and up 3 films · 2%

Since 2000

Are Movie Budgets Growing? Top-10 Average by Year

The ten most expensive films of 2006 cost $169.4M on average, rank 20 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 2006?

Adventure films account for the most spending in 2006: $2.3B across 29 films, $78.4M on average. Comedy follows with $2.2B. A film with several genres counts in each.

Adventure $2.3B
29 films · $78.4M average
Comedy $2.2B
57 films · $37.8M average
Thriller $2.1B
47 films · $44.9M average
Action $2.1B
26 films · $81.1M average
Drama $1.9B
72 films · $26.9M average
Family $1.3B
23 films · $57.6M average
Romance $1.1B
33 films · $31.9M average
Fantasy $1B
18 films · $56.6M average
Mystery $845.4M
22 films · $38.4M average
Sci-Fi $834.1M
13 films · $64.2M average

FAQ

Biggest Budget Movies of 2006: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about what 2006's films cost and earned, from the lists above.

What was the most expensive movie of 2006?

Superman Returns (2006), with a reported production budget of $270M. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is second at $225M.

About Superman Returns

Which 2006 movie made the most money for its budget?

Among 2006 films that cost $10M or more, Saw III (2006) earned $164.9M worldwide on a $10M budget, 16× what it cost.

What was the biggest box office flop of 2006?

Measured by worldwide gross against budget, All the King's Men (2006) took $9.5M on a $55M budget (0.2×), the weakest return of any 2006 film that cost $30M or more.

How much did a 2006 movie cost to make?

The median reported budget of the 145 films released in 2006 with one is $24M. The 20 most expensive cost $2.6B together, and 13 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.