Avatar 2 may be the most expensive movie of all time
Avatar 2 may be the most expensive movie in Hollywood history, according to a new report.
Avatar: The Way of Wateris James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to his 2009 box office king of the world,still the highest-grossing movie of all time to this day.
The follow-up has been branded as the “motion picture event of a generation”, a claim bolstered by the sparse theatrical calendar heading into December. No movie is brave enough to compete with Avatar 2.
However, while the original enjoyed an unprecedented run in cinemas and eye-watering box office returns, the sequel needs to do extraordinarily well – as it may be the most expensive movie ever made.
Avatar 2 budget reportedly above $350 million
Avatar 2 cost between $350 million and $400 million, as perThe Hollywood Reporter. This makes it one of the most expensive movies of all time – if not the most expensive, if its production budget is on the higher end of those figures.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is somehow still the most expensive movie ever made, costing a whopping $379 million. Even adjusted for inflation, it’s held the top spot for more than a decade.
Below that, you have Avengers: Age of Ultron and Endgame, which cost $365 million and $356 million respectively.
However, Avatar 2 looks poised to take the Hollywood budget crown, asJames Cameron recently revealedthe sequel will need to be the “third or fourth highest-grossing film in history [to be profitable]. That’s your threshold. That’s your breakeven.”
Originally, The Way of Water was believed to have cost $250 million before marketing, withVarietyreporting the batch of four sequels to have a combined budget of $1 billion. Neither 20th Century Studios nor Cameron has provided a hard number for Avatar 2’s budget, but it seems it may be record-breaking.
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Most expensive movies of all time
Below you’ll find a list of the most expensive movies ever made, starting with the biggest budget and including Avatar 2. We’ve slotted it in with the most recent estimate. Note: this is unadjusted for inflation.
According toBox Office Pro, Avatar 2 is projected to double the original blockbuster’s opening weekend, and witha theatrical release date secured in China, a worldwide gross close to $2 billion is no longer out of the question.
Avatar: The Way of Water hits cinemas on June 23, 2025. You can find out more about the moviehere.
