Discover the Most Expensive Movie Ever Made

Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens	Statistics
Estimated Budget	Between $259 and $306 million
Cost to Produce	$447 million
Main Actors	Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, and more
Director, Co-writer, and Producer	J. J. Abrams
Date Released	2015
Box Office Gross	$2 billion worldwide
Box Office Status	North America s highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing film of the year, and the third-highest-grossing film when released.
Any Awards	Nominated for 5 Oscars

How Much Did the Most Expensive Movie Cost?

TheStar Warssequel trilogy began with J.J. Abrams sThe Force Awakens. It continued the story of the beloved original characters while introducing new ones, such as Rey, Poe, and Finn.

George Lucas is theStar Warscreator, and even though he had ideas for a sequel trilogy, he wasn t prepared to make it. So, instead, hesold Lucasfilmto the Walt Disney Company in 2012. And they made good on producing the trilogy sagas.

With so much at stake for Disney, the movie was one of the most highly-anticipated releases ever. Recent reports indicate thatThe Force Awakenshad a budget between $259 and $306 million.

In the end, the most expensive movie ever made ended up costing $447 million. However, the investment paid off handsomely, with the movie earning over $2 billion at the box office. It was the highest-grossing film of that year and still remains the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office.

First Film With a $100 Million Budget

The first movie to cross the hundred million dollar budget line starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis.True Lieswas a 1994 film with a big budget. But it turned out to be much smaller than the cost of the most expensive movie ever made.

Other Star Wars Film Costs

• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) $416M: The last movie in the sequel trilogy is reportedly the second most expensive movie ever made. It grossed a billion dollars worldwide. The Rise of Skywalker also earned the odd honor of being one of the last blockbusters before the Corona Pandemic halted all movie-going.
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) $300M: The second film in the sequel trilogy followed The Force Awakens with another colossal budget. Not all fans liked the direction the movie took, especially Luke Skywalker s portrayal. But it was still a blockbuster hit, grossing $1 billion worldwide.
• Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) $11M: The first movie in George Lucas film franchise cost a mere $11 million to make. Nevertheless, it topped the box office, earning more than $220 million that year.
• Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) $18M and Return of the Jedi (1983) $32.5M: The second and third films in the original trilogy synched the deal for a long-time love affair between movie-goers and Star Wars. With low production costs by today s standards, both movies helped the budding franchise secure its spot in Hollywood history.

The Most Expensive Movie: Cast Costs

Cast and crew costs for the most expensivemovieadded up quickly. For example, director J.J. Abrams earned $5 million, plus 2% of the box office gross. Here are the main actors and actresses salaries and box office profits.

Cast Member	Salary and Box Office Profits
Harrison Ford (Han Solo)	$15 million / $25 million
Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia)	Low seven-figure range
Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker)	Low seven-figure range
Adam Driver (Kylo Ren)	Mid-to-high six figures
Daisy Ridley (Rey)	Between $100,000 and $300,000
John Boyega (Finn)	Between $100,000 and $300,000
Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron)	Mid-to-high six figures

The Most Expensive Movie: Star Wars Merchandise

Beyond the box office gross for the most expensive movie ever made,Star Warsmerchandise continues raking in the cash. Before the film s premiere, twenty ofThe Force Awakensbooks and comics were released. And then, Marvel Comics released a six-issue comic based on the movie in 2016.

Also, before the movie s release, Disney and Lucasfilm held a merchandise open house on Force Friday, September 4, 2015. Live-streaming on YouTube ensured fans worldwide could buy books, toys, clothing, and otherStar Warsmerchandise.

Toy stores had trouble keeping enoughStar Warsproducts in stock. And, today, merchandise likeLego setscontinues selling like hotcakes at online retailers.

The Most Expensive Movie: Star Wars Fan Events

Fans of theStar Warsfranchise are some of the world s most devoted. They gather for events and cosplay all over the world. For example, Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 was held in April in London with about 30,000 attendees.

Cosplayers made up a large selection of the SWCE partyers, with people dressed as everyStar Warscharacter you can imagine. The full schedule at these fan events makes for an exciting weekend, whether or not fans are into cosplay.

In addition, fans interact with the film s set decorator, production designer, costume designer, and concept designer for a behind-the-scenes design look at the most expensive movie ever made.

Current live-action filmmakers also discuss upcomingStar Warsmovies to the delight of fans, in person and watching on the live stream. You can even attend a cosplay workshop at one of these fan events.

Costume designers, prop masters, and hair department professionals offer tips and tricks for dressing like your favorite characters. And that helps get cosplay fans ready for the event contest!

Check the officialStar Warsevents pagefor upcoming happenings near you. What a treat you ll be in for! We know you ll be glad you attended.

The Most Expensive Movie of All Time: Bottom Line

Star Wars: The Force Awakensholds the title of the most expensive movie of all time. Production costs came in at a whopping $447M in 2015. And that s a load of cash, no matter how you look at it.

Thankfully,The Force Awakensearned its keep.Star Warsfans flocked to the theaters for the first installment in the much-anticipated sequel trilogy. As a result, the film earned over $2 billion at the box office. In addition, it was the number-one-grossing film in 2015 across North America.

Star Warsfanatics ensure that well-made movies in the franchise are appreciated and well-attended. We aren t sure if another movie franchise could have re-couped the production cost of the most expensive movie.