‘Most expensive’ movie ever made cost £400m and is an ‘absolutely perfect masterpiece’ | Films | Entertainment
Reports suggest the film cost around $536million (£400m) to produce (Image: Disney)
There have been plenty of blockbuster films over the years, but only a handful are remembered for the sheer scale of their production. And one film in particular is widely considered to be the most expensive ever made. Reports suggest it cost around $536million (£400m) to produce, putting it at the very top of the list for film budgets.
Working out exactly which film is the most expensive can be difficult. Hollywood accounting is often secretive, and production costs can include tax rebates and other factors, meaning official figures can vary. But the blockbuster widely considered to be the most expensive ever made is Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the 2015 space opera directed by J. J. Abrams.
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Daisy Ridley and John Boyega in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Image: Disney)
The film is the seventh instalment in the long-running Star Wars saga and takes place around 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi.
It follows new characters such as Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron as they search for the missing Jedi Luke Skywalker while fighting the rising power of the First Order, led by Kylo Ren.
The cast includes Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac.
The film was released in December 2015 after production began following Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012.
Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Image: Disney)
Filming took place at Pinewood Studios in England as well as on location in Abu Dhabi, Iceland and Ireland.
The movie proved to be both a critical and commercial success. It currently holds a 93% Tomatometer score and an 84% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
At the box office, it was a huge hit, earning $2.07billion (£1.6billion) worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing film of 2015.
Viewers have also praised the film in reviews on IMDb. One person said: “Absolutely perfect masterpiece. This film was sensational! The storyline is original and captivating. By far the best film of 2015, the best Star Wars film, and one of the best movies of all time.”
Another added: “Freaking amazing! I simply cannot comprehend how anyone would give this a bad review. It was, without a doubt, brilliant.
“The directing was amazing, to the point where you’re so immersed in the scenes, I actually felt giddy during some of the flight scenes, it feels like you’re actually in the ship.”
A third wrote: “So, my opinion of this movie is that it is the greatest movie of all time.”
Someone else commented: “This movie will blow you away, as both a Star Wars fan and a movie fan. If you actually like Star Wars you will love this film, end of story.”
The success of The Force Awakens helped launch the Star Wars sequel trilogy, which continued with The Last Jedi in 2017 and The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens can be streamed on Disney+.
