Budgets · 2009

Biggest Budget Movies of 2009: Cost vs Box Office

135 of the 3,659 films released in 2009 have a reported production budget. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince cost the most at $250M, and earned $941.1M worldwide. Avatar is next at $237M. The 20 most expensive cost $3.2B together.

films with a budget: 135
most expensive: $250M
top 20 combined: $3.2B
median budget: $30M

Cost vs earnings

The 20 Most Expensive Movies of 2009: Budget vs Box Office

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince cost $250M and earned $941.1M worldwide (3.8× 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.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 3.8×
Budget $250M Worldwide $941.1M
Avatar 12×
Budget $237M Worldwide $2.9B
A Christmas Carol 1.6×
Budget $200M Worldwide $325.3M
2012 4.0×
Budget $200M Worldwide $791.2M
Terminator Salvation 1.9×
Budget $200M Worldwide $371.4M
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 4.2×
Budget $200M Worldwide $836.3M
Monsters vs Aliens 2.2×
Budget $175M Worldwide $381.5M
Up 4.2×
Budget $175M Worldwide $735.1M
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 1.7×
Budget $175M Worldwide $302.5M
Star Trek 2.6×
Budget $150M Worldwide $385.7M
G-Force 2.0×
Budget $150M Worldwide $292.8M
X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2.5×
Budget $150M Worldwide $373.1M
Angels & Demons 3.2×
Budget $150M Worldwide $485.9M
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian 2.8×
Budget $150M Worldwide $413.1M
Watchmen 1.4×
Budget $130M Worldwide $185.4M
The Princess and the Frog 2.5×
Budget $105M Worldwide $267.1M
Public Enemies 2.1×
Budget $100M Worldwide $214.1M
Land of the Lost 0.7×
Budget $100M Worldwide $68.8M
Where the Wild Things Are 1.0×
Budget $100M Worldwide $100.1M
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 1.5×
Budget $100M Worldwide $150.2M

Return on budget

Which 2009 Movies Made the Most, and Least, for Their Budget?

The Twilight Saga: New Moon earned 14× its $50M budget, the best return of any 2009 film that cost $10M or more. At the other end, Outlander took $7M on a $50M budget (0.1×). Worldwide cinema gross only; home video, streaming and marketing are not included.

Biggest hits for their cost

Film	Budget	Worldwide	Return
The Twilight Saga: New Moon $50M budget	$50M	$711M	14×
The Hangover $35M budget	$35M	$469.3M	13×
Avatar $237M budget	$237M	$2.9B	12×
The Blind Side $29M budget	$29M	$309.2M	11×
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs $90M budget	$90M	$886.7M	9.9×
Taken $25M budget	$25M	$226.8M	9.1×
The Proposal $40M budget	$40M	$317.4M	7.9×
Paul Blart: Mall Cop $26M budget	$26M	$183.3M	7.1×

Biggest flops for their cost

Film	Budget	Worldwide	Return
Outlander $50M budget	$50M	$7M	0.1×
Taking Woodstock $30M budget	$30M	$10M	0.3×
Imagine That $55M budget	$55M	$23M	0.4×
Amelia $40M budget	$40M	$19.6M	0.5×
Whiteout $35M budget	$35M	$18M	0.5×
Astro Boy $65M budget	$65M	$39.9M	0.6×
Pandorum $33M budget	$33M	$20.6M	0.6×
Nine $80M budget	$80M	$54M	0.7×

Budget spread

How Much Did 2009 Movies Cost to Make?

135 films released in 2009 have a reported budget, 4% of all 3,659. Most cost between $10M and $50M (56%); the median is $30M, and 21 films cost $100M or more.

Under $10M 13 films · 10%
$10M–$50M 75 films · 56%
$50M–$100M 26 films · 19%
$100M–$200M 15 films · 11%
$200M and up 6 films · 4%

Since 2000

Are Movie Budgets Growing? Top-10 Average by Year

The ten most expensive films of 2009 cost $196.2M on average, rank 12 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 2009?

Action films account for the most spending in 2009: $3.2B across 36 films, $89.5M on average. Adventure follows with $3.1B. A film with several genres counts in each.

Action $3.2B
36 films · $89.5M average
Adventure $3.1B
30 films · $104M average
Thriller $2.7B
48 films · $55.4M average
Drama $2.7B
67 films · $39.7M average
Comedy $2.2B
46 films · $48.9M average
Sci-Fi $2.2B
21 films · $106.6M average
Family $2B
21 films · $97.3M average
Fantasy $2B
23 films · $88.3M average
Romance $1.4B
33 films · $43.7M average
Animation $1.2B
12 films · $98.8M average

FAQ

Biggest Budget Movies of 2009: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about what 2009's films cost and earned, from the lists above.

What was the most expensive movie of 2009?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), with a reported production budget of $250M. Avatar is second at $237M.

About Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Which 2009 movie made the most money for its budget?

Among 2009 films that cost $10M or more, The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) earned $711M worldwide on a $50M budget, 14× what it cost.

What was the biggest box office flop of 2009?

Measured by worldwide gross against budget, Outlander (2009) took $7M on a $50M budget (0.1×), the weakest return of any 2009 film that cost $30M or more.

How much did a 2009 movie cost to make?

The median reported budget of the 135 films released in 2009 with one is $30M. The 20 most expensive cost $3.2B together, and 21 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.