Content Warning: This article contains discussions of genocide
The growth of streaming platforms over the past few years has been truly phenomenal. While Netflix was the first major innovator in the streaming space, there has been an acceleration in recent years with new platforms launching to rival Netflix. Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Apple TV+ are the major examples of new premium quality streaming services that have challenged Netflix for streaming dominance in the so-called "streaming wars."
As these streaming wars have intensified in recent years, audiences are seeing these major streaming platforms pump larger and larger amounts of money into original content in an effort to stand out in an oversaturated landscape. While streaming platforms, like Netflix, are notoriously tight-lipped over the budgets of their originals, there are multiple reports of colossal budgets for new exclusive content for these streaming platforms. While it can be difficult to accurately obtain information regarding the true budgets of many of these films, here are ten of the most expensive movies (some of which have yet to be released) to debut exclusively on streaming platforms, according to their reported budgets.
The Irishman (2019)
Estimated Budget $159m-$225m
Martin Scorsese's epic crime drama debuted on Netflix in 2019 to much hype. Scorsese had been trying to get the film made for a number of years but couldn't secure the necessary budget to bring his sweeping vision to life. Many major movie studios, such as Paramount, passed on the project until Netflix agreed to jump in and finance the endeavour.
While the budget of many Netflix productions is extremely difficult to ascertain, according to reports from the LA Times and Gamespot, the budget for The Irishman was anywhere between $159 million on the lower end and $225 million on the higher end. Although, some have speculated that the budget could have exceeded even this. Much of The Irishman's hefty budget was spent on the sophisticated de-aging technology used to transform Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino from looking like they're in their late-70s to their late-40s.
Red Notice (2021)
Estimated Budget $250m-$300m
Starring a trio of international mega stars in Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot, and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, Red Notice is currently Netflix's most popular original movie, according to their data and, as of this moment, is currently Netflix's most expensive original movie
While the budget of Red Notice was widely reported to have been around $200m, with a substantial amount of that money going to the three leading stars, The Hollywood Reporter estimated that the budget was far higher than the initially reported price tag and closer to between $250 and $300 million. The expensive move seems to have paid dividends for Netflix though, with Red Notice having been a huge hit for the streaming platform.
The Tomorrow War (2021)
Estimated Budget $160m-$200m
The Tomorrow War is currently Amazon Prime's most expensive original movie to date. Starring Chris Pratt, and directed by Chris McKay, The Tomorrow War was originally meant to be released theatrically by Paramount Studios before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. After the the pandemic forced the closure of movie theaters, Paramount sold the rights of the movie to Amazon, who released it in July of 2021.
With The Tomorrow War changing studio hands, it's difficult to estimate how much the film cost in total, but THR and Forbes believe the final cost was somewhere in the region of $160 million and $200 million, easily making it Amazon Prime's most expensive exclusive original thus far.
Mulan (2020)
Estimated Budget $200m+
Mulan, released on Disney+ in 2020 through premiere access, is another example of a big-budget movie that was intended for a much wider theatrical release before the onset of the pandemic in early 2020. While Mulan did debut in movie theaters in select countries without access to Disney+, in the United States, the movie debuted exclusively on Disney+.
With a budget reported to be in excess of $200 million (via CBC), Mulan is one of the most expensive movies ever directed by a female director (Niki Caro). Despite this, the movie was plagued with bad publicity from the onset, with decision to film in parts of Xinjiang in light of the Uyghur genocide, a particular point of contention, along with the #BoycottMulan movement responding to the 2019-2020 Hong Kong police protests.
6 Underground (2019)
Estimated Budget $150m
Michael Bay's first streaming collaboration with Netflix brought 6 Underground to the platform. At the time of its release, 6 Underground was Netflix's most expensive original movie. Despite a diverse star-studded cast that includes Ryan Reynolds, Mélanie Laurent, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Dave Franco, 6 Underground failed to make a major mark for Netflix and is considered a failure by the streamer.
With a reported budget of around $150 million (via IndieWire), 6 Underground is still one of Netflix's most expensive movies ever made, and set the precedent for major action movie tentpoles, debuting exclusively on streaming platforms (something audiences have seen more and more of in recent years).
Argylle (2023)
Estimated Budget $200m
Although Argylle hasn't been released yet, that hasn't stopped it becoming Apple TV+'s most expensive original feature film to date. Directed by Matthew Vaughn and featuring an all-star cast, including Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson , and pop singer Dua Lipa in her acting debut.
Set to follow the globe-trotting adventures of a super-spy named Argylle across the U.S., London and other exotic locations, Argylle has a reported budget of around $200 million (via Deadline) and is reported to land on the fledgling streaming service in 2023.
The Gray Man (2022)
Estimated Budget $200m+
Another unreleased film, The Gray Man is being billed as Netflix's most expensive feature film to date, although, that may contradict with reports of Red Notice's budget. Directed by the Russo Brothers, and featuring a star-studded cast, including Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and Regé-Jean Page, The Gray Man is based on a series of novels by author Mark Greaney.
The film has been described as a James Bond level of action and espionage action, and is reported to have cost upwards of $200 million to produce (via Deadline). The Gray Man is another big-budget example of Netflix's push at creating a major action-adventure franchise in the mould of James Bond or Mission: Impossible.
Turning Red (2022)
Estimated Budget $175m
Following off the heels of previous Pixar movies, and some of best Disney+ originals, Soul and Luca, Turning Red is the latest Pixar movie to debut exclusively on Disney+. According to The New York Times, the budget for Turning Red was somewhere in the region of $175m, easily making it one of Disney+'s most expensive exclusives to date.
Turning Red was originally scheduled to release theatrically worldwide in March 2022, but was moved to Disney+ as micron cases of COVID-19 increased rapidly in late-2021 and early 2022 (via The Hollywood Reporter). Despite these setbacks for the movie, Turning Red became a major success on Disney+, breaking the streaming service's most-watched global viewership opening record upon release (via ScreenRant).
The Adam Project (2022)
Estimated Budget $115m-$130m
The king of big-budget streaming movies Ryan Reynolds returns in this entry from Netflix: The Adam Project. Directed by Shawn Levy, who's soon to re-unite with Reynolds for the upcoming Deadpool 3, The Adam Project has become Netflix's fourth most-watched original since its debut in March 2022.
The budget for this time-traveling sci-fi adventure film is estimated to have come in around $115 million (via Forbes) and $130 million for Netflix (via Cracked), but seeing how successful it has became for the streaming giant, it's money well spent.
Zack Synder's Justice League (2021)
Estimated Budget $315m-$345m+
This one is a complicated example because of the amount of baggage and background knowledge needed to fully understand the mess of Joss Whedon's Justice League, released theatrically in 2017, and Zack Synder's Justice League, which released exclusively on HBO Max in March 2021. The original budget for Justice League was reported to have been around $275 million, with another $25 million added to the budget for Joss Whedon's much criticized reshoots, bringing the total budget for the theatrically released Justice League in 2017 to approximately $300 million.
If viewers take the reported cost of Zack Synder's reshoots and altered visual effects, reported to have cost between $40 million and $70 million (via ScreenRant), and add that to the initial budget of $275 million, since Synder insisted that not one shot by Whedon is present in his movie, then fans can presume that the total accumulative cost of Synder's Justice League, when all is said and done, is between $315 million and $345 million.