Biggest Budget Movies of 2019: Cost vs Box Office
740 of the 9,005 films released in 2019 have a reported production budget. Avengers: Endgame cost the most at $356M, and earned $2.8B worldwide. Shadow is next at $300M. The 20 most expensive cost $3.9B together.
- films with a budget
- 740
- most expensive
- $356M
- top 20 combined
- $3.9B
- median budget
- $3M
The 20 Most Expensive Movies of 2019: Budget vs Box Office
Avengers: Endgame cost $356M and earned $2.8B worldwide (7.9× its budget). 12 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. 1 film has no box office record here.
Which 2019 Movies Made the Most, and Least, for Their Budget?
Ne Zha earned 36× its $20M budget, the best return of any 2019 film that cost $10M or more. At the other end, The Aeronauts took $3.5M on a $40M budget (0.1×). Worldwide cinema gross only; home video, streaming and marketing are not included.
Biggest hits for their cost
| Film | Budget | Worldwide | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ne Zha $20M budget | $20M | $726.2M | 36× |
| Parasite $11.4M budget | $11.4M | $262.6M | 23× |
| Joker $55M budget | $55M | $1.1B | 20× |
| Downton Abbey $13M budget | $13M | $194.7M | 15× |
| The Wandering Earth $48M budget | $48M | $700M | 15× |
| Us $20M budget | $20M | $256.1M | 13× |
| Glass $20M budget | $20M | $247M | 12× |
| Frozen II $150M budget | $150M | $1.5B | 9.7× |
Biggest flops for their cost
| Film | Budget | Worldwide | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Aeronauts $40M budget | $40M | $3.5M | 0.1× |
| The Death and Life of John F. Donovan $35M budget | $35M | $3.3M | 0.1× |
| The Goldfinch $45M budget | $45M | $10M | 0.2× |
| Playmobil: The Movie $63M budget | $63M | $16.4M | 0.3× |
| Shanghai Fortress $64M budget | $64M | $16.9M | 0.3× |
| Missing Link $100M budget | $100M | $26.6M | 0.3× |
| Shadow $300M budget | $300M | $91.7M | 0.3× |
| Replicas $30M budget | $30M | $9.3M | 0.3× |
How Much Did 2019 Movies Cost to Make?
740 films released in 2019 have a reported budget, 8% of all 9,005. Most cost under $10M (70%); the median is $3M, and 28 films cost $100M or more.
- Under $10M 521 films · 70%
- $10M–$50M 166 films · 22%
- $50M–$100M 25 films · 3%
- $100M–$200M 21 films · 3%
- $200M and up 7 films · <1%
Are Movie Budgets Growing? Top-10 Average by Year
The ten most expensive films of 2019 cost $234.4M on average, rank 4 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 2019?
Adventure films account for the most spending in 2019: $5.6B across 93 films, $60.7M on average. Action follows with $5.4B. A film with several genres counts in each.
-
Adventure $5.6B93 films · $60.7M average -
Action $5.4B138 films · $39.2M average -
Drama $4.7B355 films · $13.2M average -
Comedy $4.6B205 films · $22.3M average -
Fantasy $3.7B73 films · $51M average -
Sci-Fi $2.9B65 films · $44.7M average -
Thriller $2.8B198 films · $14.4M average -
Family $2.8B58 films · $48.3M average -
Animation $2B43 films · $47M average -
Crime $1.6B86 films · $18.4M average
Biggest Budget Movies of 2019: Questions & Answers
Quick answers about what 2019's films cost and earned, from the lists above.
What was the most expensive movie of 2019?
Avengers: Endgame (2019), with a reported production budget of $356M. Shadow is second at $300M.
About Avengers: Endgame Which 2019 movie made the most money for its budget?
Among 2019 films that cost $10M or more, Ne Zha (2019) earned $726.2M worldwide on a $20M budget, 36× what it cost.
What was the biggest box office flop of 2019?
Measured by worldwide gross against budget, The Aeronauts (2019) took $3.5M on a $40M budget (0.1×), the weakest return of any 2019 film that cost $30M or more.
How much did a 2019 movie cost to make?
The median reported budget of the 740 films released in 2019 with one is $3M. The 20 most expensive cost $3.9B together, and 28 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.