Biggest Budget Movies of 2015: Cost vs Box Office
124 of the 6,512 films released in 2015 have a reported production budget. Avengers: Age of Ultron cost the most at $250M, and earned $1.4B worldwide. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens is next at $245M. The 20 most expensive cost $3.2B together.
- films with a budget
- 124
- most expensive
- $250M
- top 20 combined
- $3.2B
- median budget
- $35M
The 20 Most Expensive Movies of 2015: Budget vs Box Office
Avengers: Age of Ultron cost $250M and earned $1.4B worldwide (5.6× its budget). 16 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.
Which 2015 Movies Made the Most, and Least, for Their Budget?
Minions earned 16× its $74M budget, the best return of any 2015 film that cost $10M or more. At the other end, Blackhat took $19.7M on a $70M budget (0.3×). Worldwide cinema gross only; home video, streaming and marketing are not included.
Biggest hits for their cost
| Film | Budget | Worldwide | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minions $74M budget | $74M | $1.2B | 16× |
| Fifty Shades of Grey $40M budget | $40M | $569.7M | 14× |
| Insidious: Chapter 3 $10M budget | $10M | $113M | 11× |
| Jurassic World $150M budget | $150M | $1.7B | 11× |
| Pitch Perfect 2 $29M budget | $29M | $287.1M | 9.9× |
| The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel $10M budget | $10M | $86M | 8.6× |
| Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens $245M budget | $245M | $2.1B | 8.5× |
| Magic Mike XXL $14.8M budget | $14.8M | $122.6M | 8.3× |
Biggest flops for their cost
| Film | Budget | Worldwide | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackhat $70M budget | $70M | $19.7M | 0.3× |
| Unfinished Business $35M budget | $35M | $14.4M | 0.4× |
| The Gunman $40M budget | $40M | $24.2M | 0.6× |
| Aloha $37M budget | $37M | $26.3M | 0.7× |
| Mortdecai $60M budget | $60M | $47.3M | 0.8× |
| Pan $150M budget | $150M | $129M | 0.9× |
| In the Heart of the Sea $100M budget | $100M | $94.3M | 0.9× |
How Much Did 2015 Movies Cost to Make?
124 films released in 2015 have a reported budget, 2% of all 6,512. The biggest group cost between $10M and $50M (46%); the median is $35M, and 22 films cost $100M or more.
- Under $10M 22 films · 18%
- $10M–$50M 57 films · 46%
- $50M–$100M 23 films · 19%
- $100M–$200M 20 films · 16%
- $200M and up 2 films · 2%
Are Movie Budgets Growing? Top-10 Average by Year
The ten most expensive films of 2015 cost $186.6M on average, rank 14 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 2015?
Adventure films account for the most spending in 2015: $4.1B across 37 films, $110M on average. Action follows with $3.8B. A film with several genres counts in each.
-
Adventure $4.1B37 films · $110M average -
Action $3.8B41 films · $93.7M average -
Thriller $2.8B46 films · $61.1M average -
Comedy $2.7B55 films · $49.1M average -
Sci-Fi $2.3B20 films · $117.2M average -
Drama $2.3B56 films · $41M average -
Fantasy $1.7B15 films · $110.5M average -
Family $1.3B13 films · $102.1M average -
Crime $1B18 films · $55.7M average -
Animation $971.3M11 films · $88.3M average
Biggest Budget Movies of 2015: Questions & Answers
Quick answers about what 2015's films cost and earned, from the lists above.
What was the most expensive movie of 2015?
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), with a reported production budget of $250M. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens is second at $245M.
About Avengers: Age of Ultron Which 2015 movie made the most money for its budget?
Among 2015 films that cost $10M or more, Minions (2015) earned $1.2B worldwide on a $74M budget, 16× what it cost.
What was the biggest box office flop of 2015?
Measured by worldwide gross against budget, Blackhat (2015) took $19.7M on a $70M budget (0.3×), the weakest return of any 2015 film that cost $30M or more.
How much did a 2015 movie cost to make?
The median reported budget of the 124 films released in 2015 with one is $35M. The 20 most expensive cost $3.2B together, and 22 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.