What's the Most Expensive Movie Ever Made?

In Hollywood, as in life, it seems you get what you pay for. So when James Cameron convinced 20th Century Fox to finance his ambitious 3-D science fiction epic "Avatar," the studio executives surely had high hopes for what the Oscar-winning filmmaker would deliver. But perhaps they were also more than a little nervous, and with good reason.

The production budget for Avatar was a reported $280 million, making it the most expensive movie of all time, according to Vanity Fair. But as astronomical as that dollar figure is, it may actually have lowballed the picture’s true cost.

Factor in worldwide marketing and print costs as the New York Times did, and the true price tag of Cameron’s trip to Pandora may actually be closer to $500 million. Most movie budget estimates don’t factor in a film’s marketing costs, even though those expenses can often end doubling a movie’s budget.

It turned out to be a bargain.

"Avatar" not only earned back its mammoth budget, it did so with ease. Thanks in part to repeat viewings and especially the higher priced 3-D screenings , "Avatar" became the all-time box-office champ with more than $2.7 billion – that’s right, billion – in ticket sales, according to industry tracking website Box Office Mojo. It was also nominated for nine Academy Awards , and won three.

What movie did "Avatar" topple from the all-time No. 1 spot? It sunk "Titanic," another high-priced Cameron epic that earned $1.8 billion, to No. 2.

It should be noted that industry tracking site Box Office Mojo cites Disney’s "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" as the most expensive film ever, with a price tag of $300 million. However, that third chapter in the Pirates trilogy was shot simultaneously with the second movie of the franchise , "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest," so it could be next to impossible to figure out exactly how much each of those movies cost.

James Cameron has proven to be one of the most reliable earners in the industry, with blockbusters such as "Aliens," "True Lies" and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

If there’s one thing we know about James Cameron, it’s that no matter how big the budget, his movies are money in the bank.

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