10 Most Expensive Movie Sets Ever Made!
Movie making is an expensive business. There are costs all the way throughout production, from paying screenwriters to creating a script, hiring a crew, getting the right equipment and of course, paying the star actors to play the key roles. Of course, there is another expense in the form of the money required to construct the sets for the film. Here is a list of 10 Most Expensive movie sets ever made.
10. Matrix Reloaded
It might surprise many people that The Matrix trilogy actually spent quite a lot on physical sets, A large part of the budget for the movies went on creating large and detailed sets. By far the biggest and most complex came in Matrix Reloaded. Because of the complex shoot and the need to film over a long period of time, the freeway scene could not be completed on a real road, so the crew built their own at a cost of $2.5 million.
Built on an old disused military base, thousands of tons of concrete were used to create a road that was a mile and a half long and came with 19-foot walls and an off ramp. Once the movie was finished the road was then dismantled and 90% of the materials, including wood, metal and plastics, were recycled.
It might surprise many people that The Matrix trilogy actually spent quite a lot on physical sets, A large part of the budget for the movies went on creating large and detailed sets. By far the biggest and most complex came in Matrix Reloaded. Because of the complex shoot and the need to film over a long period of time, the freeway scene could not be completed on a real road, so the crew built their own at a cost of $2.5 million.
Built on an old disused military base, thousands of tons of concrete were used to create a road that was a mile and a half long and came with 19-foot walls and an off ramp. Once the movie was finished the road was then dismantled and 90% of the materials, including wood, metal and plastics, were recycled.
9. Full Metal Jacket
While exact details about the cost of Full Metal Jacket have never been fully revealed The biggest and most complex set constructed specifically for the production was the ruined Vietnamese town of Hue. Kubrick managed to secure an abandoned gasworks and dockyard that was due to be demolished. He, along with the art director, then spent two months blowing up various buildings, constructing new ones and using a hired wrecking ball to damage buildings in the exact same way as photographs he had in his possession. For more authenticity, he was also able to buy a collection of M41 tanks and Westland Wessex helicopters for the set.
While exact details about the cost of Full Metal Jacket have never been fully revealed The biggest and most complex set constructed specifically for the production was the ruined Vietnamese town of Hue. Kubrick managed to secure an abandoned gasworks and dockyard that was due to be demolished. He, along with the art director, then spent two months blowing up various buildings, constructing new ones and using a hired wrecking ball to damage buildings in the exact same way as photographs he had in his possession. For more authenticity, he was also able to buy a collection of M41 tanks and Westland Wessex helicopters for the set.
8. Waterworld
Waterworld is one of the most famous movies ever made. Not because it is a great film or had huge success but instead, due to it being such a high profile flop. One of the biggest expenses for the film came in the form of a multi-million dollar set that had to be built to shoot many of the scenes from.
Waterworld is one of the most famous movies ever made. Not because it is a great film or had huge success but instead, due to it being such a high profile flop. One of the biggest expenses for the film came in the form of a multi-million dollar set that had to be built to shoot many of the scenes from.
7. Stalingrad
It was released in 2013 to mixed reviews from critics, almost one sixth of the budget of the film, something approaching $5 million, was spent on creating a huge set filled with buildings, equipment and vehicles that would have been present in Stalingrad during World War II.
It was released in 2013 to mixed reviews from critics, almost one sixth of the budget of the film, something approaching $5 million, was spent on creating a huge set filled with buildings, equipment and vehicles that would have been present in Stalingrad during World War II.
6. The General
Rather than use scale models or cheaper replicas, Keaton decided to instead go all out and make the scene as realistic as possible. This involved using an antique train and an actual bridge that was blown up, leaving the director with just one opportunity to get the shot he wanted. When all was finished, the set had cost $42,000 for that one scene, a figure that would translate to around $6 million today.
Rather than use scale models or cheaper replicas, Keaton decided to instead go all out and make the scene as realistic as possible. This involved using an antique train and an actual bridge that was blown up, leaving the director with just one opportunity to get the shot he wanted. When all was finished, the set had cost $42,000 for that one scene, a figure that would translate to around $6 million today.
5. Titanic
The biggest set included a 40-acre facility that contained two huge tanks that could contain more than 20 million gallons of water and a 90% scale replica of the starboard side of the ship. The model of the Titanic was needed for hundreds of different shots, while the tanks were necessary so that the director could film the replica in water and to allow it to sink at the end. The total cost when adjusted for inflation of this elaborate set alone exceeded $30 million.
The biggest set included a 40-acre facility that contained two huge tanks that could contain more than 20 million gallons of water and a 90% scale replica of the starboard side of the ship. The model of the Titanic was needed for hundreds of different shots, while the tanks were necessary so that the director could film the replica in water and to allow it to sink at the end. The total cost when adjusted for inflation of this elaborate set alone exceeded $30 million.
4. Hello, Dolly!
Releasing in 1969, it had an overall budget, including marketing and distribution costs, of $25 million with a large proportion of that being spent on constructing the elaborate sets that feature predominantly in various scenes. The most prominent of these was the Harmonia Gardens set at Stage 14 at Fox Studios. The extravagant construction features four different levels, including a foyer, a restaurant, a dance floor and a bar fitted with a variety of expensive fixtures such as ivory furniture and large ornate fountains. The overall price for just this set was $375,000, a figure that would equate to more than $2 million in today’s money.
Releasing in 1969, it had an overall budget, including marketing and distribution costs, of $25 million with a large proportion of that being spent on constructing the elaborate sets that feature predominantly in various scenes. The most prominent of these was the Harmonia Gardens set at Stage 14 at Fox Studios. The extravagant construction features four different levels, including a foyer, a restaurant, a dance floor and a bar fitted with a variety of expensive fixtures such as ivory furniture and large ornate fountains. The overall price for just this set was $375,000, a figure that would equate to more than $2 million in today’s money.
3. Intolerance
The biggest individual set, and the most expensive, was the to scale model of the Great Wall of Babylon that was over 300-feet tall. While exact figures for each set have never been released, it did take up a large proportion of the overall production budget that rose to more than $45 million when adjusted for inflation.
The biggest individual set, and the most expensive, was the to scale model of the Great Wall of Babylon that was over 300-feet tall. While exact figures for each set have never been released, it did take up a large proportion of the overall production budget that rose to more than $45 million when adjusted for inflation.
2. Ben Hur
The 1959 version of Ben Hur is something of a masterpiece. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made and is infamous for its hugely exciting chariot race section. Understanding that part of the film to be arguably the most important of the feature, the director and producers spent more than $1 million of the $15 budget for the film on building a huge chariot arena.
The 1959 version of Ben Hur is something of a masterpiece. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made and is infamous for its hugely exciting chariot race section. Understanding that part of the film to be arguably the most important of the feature, the director and producers spent more than $1 million of the $15 budget for the film on building a huge chariot arena.
1. WarGames
WarGames, a 1983 movie featuring an incredibly powerful supercomputer that controls the US nuclear missile silos, was a fairly low budget film. However, a significant percentage of that funding went on building one set in particular. Out of a budget of just $12 million for the entire production, as well as marketing and distribution, $1 million of it was spent on recreating the famous NORAD command center. Without being able to see the actual NORAD center, as they were not given permission by the government, the crew produced a far more futuristic command center with more technologically advanced looking computer systems.
WarGames, a 1983 movie featuring an incredibly powerful supercomputer that controls the US nuclear missile silos, was a fairly low budget film. However, a significant percentage of that funding went on building one set in particular. Out of a budget of just $12 million for the entire production, as well as marketing and distribution, $1 million of it was spent on recreating the famous NORAD command center. Without being able to see the actual NORAD center, as they were not given permission by the government, the crew produced a far more futuristic command center with more technologically advanced looking computer systems.
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