Pixar Animation Studios released its first full-length film back in 1995 and the studio hasn't slowed down since. From surviving mergers with Disney to prospering in the wake of scandals, Pixar truly is a resilient animation studio that continues to churn out some of the best-animated films, year after year.
It's no small feat that Pixar has managed to put out a film every year, with most of them earning Academy Award nominations. In addition to nominations, Pixar has taken home the coveted Best Animation Film Oscar 16 different times. While their success is nothing to downplay, part of the reason Pixar is such a powerhouse is thanks to the multimillion-dollar budgets their films are given, which allow animators and writers to push the boundaries without having to worry about finances.
Coco (2017) - $175 Million
Arguably one of Pixar's most stunning and visually beautiful films of all time, it's no surprise that Coco lands itself on the list of most expensive Pixar films of all time.
The film tells the story of Miguel, an aspiring musician who runs away from his family and ends up in the Land of the Dead with the hope of uncovering the truth and proving to his family that music is in their genes. Not only is Coco one of Pixar's most expensive films, but it is also the first film with an all-Latinx principal cast with a nine-figure budget.
WALL-E (2008) - $180 Million
Released in 2008, WALL-E brings the romantic comedy genre to the future by centering its romance around two robots: trash compactor Wall-e and Eve, a robot designed to find life on Earth.
Considering WALL-E has minimal dialogue, it seems odd that the film would require $180 million and yet Pixar granted the film that much money. While there may not be tons of dialogue in the film, the technology that was invested in the animation of the film certainly put the budget to good use.
Brave (2012) - $185 Million
In 2012 Pixar entered the world of the Disney Princess when they released Brave. The film is centered around Merida, a young Scottish princess who wants nothing more than to live her own life, instead of following the traditional path her family has laid out for her.
A huge reason for the $185 million budget for Brave was due in part to the effort it took to create and animate Merida's iconic red curly hair. In the end, it paid off for Pixar.
The Good Dinosaur (2015) - $187.5 Million
Arguably Pixar's least popular and worst film of all time, The Good Dinosaur centers on young dinosaur Arlo, who gets lost after witnessing the death of his father. On his journey home, he befriends Spot, a Neanderthal boy, and together the two are able to travel back to their respective homes.
Though the film made $332 million in the global box office against its $175 million budget, the film lost money due to the extensive and expensive marketing campaign that was enacted for the film. Thus, The Good Dinosaur is Pixar's first flop.
Toy Story 3 (2010) - $200 Million
Toy Story 3 kicked off Pixar's habit of granting its animated films a massive $200 million budget. Released in 2010, it revisits all our favorite toys as they struggle with the reality that Andy is getting ready to go to college.
While it's unclear why exactly the film warranted such a massive budget, part of it most likely had to do with the fact that it was the first film to be released theatrically with Dolby's new Surround Sound technology. In addition to being expensive, Toy Story 3 is also the first animated film to gross over $1 billion, making its budget well worth it.
Cars 2 (2011) - $200 Million
Despite being one of Pixar's least memorable and least loved film, Cars 2 also earned the coveted $200 million budget when it was released in 2011. This time, the film centered more around Mater, as he gets mistaken as a spy while traveling with Lightning McQueen, who is competing in the World Grand Prix.
Though the film isn't a favorite amongst Pixar fans, it did turn a big enough profit to earn the franchise a third film, which was released in 2017.
Monsters University (2013) - $200 Million
Twelve years after we first met Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan, we were reintroduced to them with the 2013 release of Monsters University. Instead of opting for a sequel, Monsters University decided to tell the story of how Mike and Sully first met.
Part of the reason for the huge budget increase was due in part to Pixar's introduction of a brand new lighting system that made the rendering progress much easier. Like most Pixar films, the budget paid off and the film went on to be a massive commercial success.
Finding Dory (2016) - $200 Million
Another Pixar sequel to earn a budget of $200 million is the 2016 film Finding Dory. Unlike the first film, which centered on Marlin and Nemo, Finding Dory opted to explore Dory's life. This time, audiences found themselves wondering who Dory's parents were and how she was going to find them.
Like so many other Pixar films, Finding Dory was a massive success. In fact, it became the second-ever Pixar film to gross over $1 billion at the global box office.
Incredibles 2 (2018) - $200 Million
Fourteen years after the first Incredibles hit theaters, Pixar once again tried their hand at an animated superhero film. With a massive budget increase that led to more special effects, the film was a commercial success, earning over one billion dollars at the box office.
Incredibles 2 once again focused on the Incredible family, though this time the film actually explored their powers, instead of having them be ashamed of them.
Toy Story 4 (2019) - $200 Million
Pixar's most recent film to have a budget of $200 million is none other than Toy Story 4, the franchise's alleged conclusion. With Woody and the gang now in Bonnie's car, they embark on a family road trip the weekend before Bonnie starts kindergarten. While on their adventure, Woody reconnects with a long lost friend, who forces Woody to think about what he wants his life to look like now that Andy is gone.
While it's unconfirmed, many speculate that Toy Story 4's massive budget has a lot to do with paying A-list actors, like Tom Hanks, to reprise their roles. In addition, the film is the most visually stunning of the franchise, which is also thanks to the budget.