Some of society’s favorite films were made at surprisingly low costs but brought in big profits. Whether they were a surprise success or just trying something new, these are the highest-grossing movies with the smallest production budgets. Read on to see which of these classics started small…
Rocky
This classic fighting movie brought in about $200 million at the box office. It resulted in an astonishing 7 sequels and countless catchphrases. The Philadelphia boxer’s story was one that audiences really resonated with.
Low Cost, High Reward
The movie only cost about $1 million to make. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won three including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing. Not bad!
Pulp Fiction
This cinematic masterpiece is often called Quentin Tarantino’s best work, and the critics agreed. The unique thriller/crime/comedy movie made $212 million in sales.
Paying Pulp
The movie’s legacy lives on, and all based on an $8 million dollar budget. John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson probably contributed to the high grossing. It won an Oscar for best original screenplay.
Goldfinger
James Bond is a money-making machine and this film made about $126 million. Sean Connery took the role of 007 and is hailed as being one of the best Bond’s of all time.
Getting the Gold
The film, written by Ian Flemming, was made with only $3 million dollars in the budget. There are now 24 films in the entirety of the James bond franchise.
Split
James McAvoy stars in this film about a man with 23 unique personalities living inside of him. It received mixed reviews but brought in about $270 million.
Splitting Checks
This film was made for only $9 million but received 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. It has been called unsettling, creepy, but completely brilliant and some of McAvoy’s best work.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
This iconic comedy movie made $250 million at the box office, but no one expected this low-cost film to take off the way it did. The film spawned a sequel and television series.
My Small, Cheap, Filmed Wedding
The movie only cost $5 million to make, pretty low for the movie business. This film was written and acted by Nia Vardalos.
Lost in Translation
This Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson feature is about an actor and student friendship. The characters are going through a weird and troubling time in both of their lives. It was one of Scarlett’s first roles. The film grossed $120 million.
Coppola Costs
Sofia Coppola wrote and directed this movie on a $4 million dollar budget. It won Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for 4 other Academy Awards.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
This horror movie wasn’t horrible at the box office: it made $25 million in sales but cost much less to make. 1984 was a desperate time for horror films, so audiences loved it!
Elm Street Sales
The budget for A Nightmare on Elm Street was only $1.5 million. Wes Craven became one of horror’s greatest stars after this movie, and the reasons are obvious!
Open Water
In 2003, this thriller made over 50 million in the theaters. A couple is left behind in the middle of the ocean. They are trapped at sea with all the terrifying ocean dwellers, but with nowhere to hide.
Low Tide Budget
The film was made with only a $150,000 budget, $50,000 less than they had anticipated. Lionsgate paid $2.5 million for the movie rights and another $8 million in marketing the film. Looks like it worked out!
Blair Witch Project
This is one of the most famous low-budget films of all time. The PR campaign was so successful that the movie made $250 million across the globe as well as a $1.1 million distribution deal.
Blair Budget
The movie only cost about $60,000 to film, partially because it was supposed to look bad. The shaky film style and DIY feel cut costs way down. Whatever works!
Get Out
Jordan Peele directed this fan-favorite horror flick to great success, he made $220 million at the box office. The dark plot twist captured audiences and broke hearts.
Get Paid
The Get Out budget was only $4.5 million, but the success was unparalleled. It was one of the most profitable movies of 2017 and was nominated for numerous awards.
Little Miss Sunshine
This $100 million dollar blockbuster follows a strange family as they travel the USA in their van. It was Abagail Breslin’s first role, for which she won an Academy Award.
Sunshine Sales
The sunny side movie made $100 million out of $8 million in the budget. The final scene was written only 6 weeks before the premiere. Talk about a quick turnaround!
Night of the Living Dead
Zombie movie enthusiasts all say the first great undead movie was Night of the Living Dead, which made $20 million worldwide. Not bad given their budget…
Payment of the Living Dead
The movie was made using only $115,000 in 1968. It was remade in color in 1990. This was never certified and led to a long and costly court battle of rights and percentages.
Paranormal Activity
Paranormal Activity raked in a shocking $193 million in sales, sparking a new franchise that continues to this day. So far, they’ve released 6 movies based off the original.
Paying Paranormal
Paranormal Activity cost only $15,000 to make, using home cameras and crew member homes, the low budget came with a high reward.
Buried
Ryan Reynolds caught himself in a scary situation in this $20 million-grossing movie. Locked underground, he tries to escape being buried alive. Can he succeed?
Buried Budget
The movie was made with only $2 million in the budget. No one expected to have so much profit from the movie, but no one’s complaining either!
Halloween
Halloween grossed over $600 million with its slasher scares. A deranged killer seeks to kill his sister played by Jamie Lee Curtis. It’s one of the most famous scary movies of all time.
Paying The Part
The iconic movie has created Halloween costumes for generations and set the bar for thriller movies. It only had $300,000 in the budget, but they made it work!
Moonlight
After collecting $65 million in profits, it’s not shocking that this movie won so many awards and earned such high acclaim. A young man faces challenges surrounding his life and sexuality in this emotional movie.
Moonlight’s Greenlight
The film was greenlit with a budget of $4 million. It won the Oscar for Best Picture and was nominated for 5 others. Joi McMillon, the writer, became the first black woman to be nominated for an Oscar in editing.
Star Wars
Not surprisingly, Star Wars made a ton in sales. About $775 million to be exact. George Lucas’ massively successful project is considered one of the most popular movies/ franchises ever created.
Darth Payer
With only $11 million in the budget (admittedly pretty high in comparison to the rest of this list) it’s very impressive that this film made as much as it did. Lucasfilm was sold to Disney in 2012.
The Purge
The Purge is one of the biggest franchises to appear in recent years, so it’s shocking that it started with such a low budget. Nevertheless, it earned several million in the industry.
Paying Purge
The Purge budget was only about $3 million, which is low considering how much it’s earned in the years since the original debut. The kill-or-be-killed movie is one that really scared audiences and still does!
My Left Foot
Daniel Day-Lewis starred in this dramatic comedy. Filmed in 1989, the movie spawned $15 million in profits, but cost significantly less than that to make.
Left to Pay
The legendary movie was made on a budget of $600,000. The film won awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
28 Days Later
This zombie classic filmed in 2002 is another blockbuster with unexpected success. The fight for survival takes on a new life in this $80 million dollar thriller.
6.6 for 28
28 Days Later cost $6.6 million to make and is definitely one of the higher options on this list, but compared to the profits, is not a lot to lose. Alex Garland cites Night of the Living Dead as his inspiration, go figure!
Saw
This gore-filled classic is filmed entirely in one location, cutting costs way down. The movie made about $115 million overall but continues to be a favorite even today.
Selling Saw
The movie was made with a cost of only $1.2 million. It created several sequels and spin-offs with this success, so I guess that the money was well worth it!
Friday the 13th
One of the best slasher films of the 80s, Friday the 13th created several spin-offs and 11 sequels, including one with Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddie Kruger (Freddy vs. Jason).
600 for the 13th
The first Friday the 13th film only cost $600,000 to make. It was Victor Miller’s highest grossing screenplay, and he is responsible for the cult classic.
Napoleon Dynamite
Maybe the most quoted movie of all-time, this celebrated classic stars Jason Heder and earned $45 million in the box office. Heder originally was paid $1,000 for the role but renegotiated after the success of the film.
Exploding Dynamite
The movie is filmed entirely in Idaho and is considered one of the funniest films of the decade. Pretty impressive for only having $400,000 in the budget!
The Hills Have Eyes
This cult classic garnered $25 million at the box office and was filmed entirely in the Mojave Desert. The remake was released in 2009 to mixed reviews.
The Cheques Have Cleared
The Hills Have Eyes is one of the lower budgets on this list, only working with about $230,000 for production. It seemed to be enough though, as it created a franchise.
The Evil Dead
This creepy classic made $30 million in sales, but only cost $100,000 to make. Stephen King, known prolific horror writer, praised the film despite the 80s effects.
American Graffiti
This was the second film George Lucas ever made, and he only worked with a $750,000 budget. The work paid off though, and he made $110 million in the box office. It was nominated for 5 Academy Awards.
Mad Max
A dystopian thriller, this franchise starter was made with only $300,000 to play with but ended up earning more than $100 million. The sequel, mad Max: Fury Road, had a bigger budget of $150 million!
Swingers
Starting with $200,000, this Vince Vaughn classic earned $250 million in the bank. The 1990s celebrity worked alongside his friend and costar Jon Favreau, starting both of their careers.
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
With only 1.35 million in the budget, it’s surprising that this film ended up making $30 million in total. The 1998 crime drama was directed by Guy Ritchie but hasn’t made much of a lasting impact.
The Full Monty
Before we had Magic Mike, we had The Full Monty. This hilarious 70s comedy cost about $3.5 million to produce but earned about $260 million in profits. Not too bad!
The Big Sick
This romantic true story follows a struggling stand up comic as he juggles family expectations and a new relationship ion the wake of a tragedy. Kumail Nanjiania and his wife Emily Gordon co-wrote the movie with a $5 million budget and turned it into $55 million in sales.
Super Size Me
Prepare to get heartburn. This documentary followed a man as he only ate McDonald’s food for a month. He had a budget of $65,000 and made $30 million in profit, as well as some terrible diet changes.
Juno
2008 was the year of teen moms, and nothing showed this phenomenon better than Juno, the cult classic teen mom movie. Working with only $6.5 million in the budget, this film earned $230 million and introduced the world to Michael Cera and Ellen Page.
Once
Only $160,000 in the budget, Once starred Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova as musicians trying to make it big in Ireland. Thankfully, the film made $20 million in only a few weeks.
Nightcrawler
Jake Gyllenhaal plays an aggressive writer in this film that cost only $8.5 million. The outcome? A $50 million dollar profit in the theaters. Well worth the wait!
Annabelle
Nothing is scarier than a creepy doll, so it’s no wonder Annabelle won $260 million at the box office. What’s truly surprising is how they did it with only $6.5 million!