Ballooning budgets……
Rocketing budgets are not a new phenomena with $100m now being taken as the minimum needed for a blockbuster and the stories of rocketing budgets for films that subsequently bomb are legion. But there is now a new film that takes the title of the most expensive film ever made.
Were you expecting this to be the most expensive film ever?
That film is ‘Jurassic World Dominion’, the sixth film in the franchise that was released in 2022. Now the previous holder of the title was ‘The Force Awakens’ costing £638.9 which though huge paled in comparison to the over $2billion it earned on release. But Dominion tops it with its budget of $658.8 according to Forbes financials making it the most expensive film ever. Now in fairness to the film and makers none of this was due to profligate spending or anything similar but instead is solely due to the film having gone into production when the world was in the midst of the pandemic and then coming out of lockdown and all the covid precautions that were subsequently required. The production was therefore in a constant state of flux with delays and restrictions meaning that costs for extended soundstage hire were required, as it was for equipment that had been leased plus extended fees for cast and crew with them having to stay for five months at the far from cheap $600 a night Langley Hotel.
Despite that high cost there were tax rebates of $127.8 million from the UK government, that reduced the net budget to $531 million and in the end the film made just over $1b at the box office and added to that also was the earnings from Home Entertainment releases and merchandising meaning the film did ultimately turn a healthy profit.
That said when it came to a seventh film, Jurassic World Rebirth, the budget was massively reduced and the film made a sizeable $869m at the box office
related feature : When Covid Attacks – What happened on the Jurassic World Dominion set?
related feature : What do you find at the Jurassic World ride at Universal Studios, Los Angeles?
