15 Movies That Made 10 Times Their Budget

Films such as “Halloween” and “Mad Max” come to mind when one is speaking of movies produced for a few hundred dollars. But in a surprising twist, despite being filmed with limited resources, these movies generated significant revenue at the box office. Here’s a list of movies that multiplied their budgets tenfold.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

George A. Romero’s zombie film is credited with creating the modern zombie genre. Shot in black and white with a small budget, it became a sensation and grossed over 250 times its budget, solidifying its place as a horror classic. Five sequels to this movie were released between 1978 and 2009.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

This groundbreaking horror movie was made on a shoestring budget of $80,000-$140,000. The filming was simple and had no special effects. Despite receiving a mixed reception from critics, it made a massive profit of around $30.9 million at the domestic box office. It remains one of the most influential horror films.

Rocky (1976)

A movie that made a significant return on investment has to be Silvester Stallone’s “Rocky.” It became the highest-grossing film in 1976 and earned around $225 million worldwide. The film’s success was due to its heartfelt narrative and Stallone’s compelling performance, leading to multiple sequels years later.

Halloween (1978)

As far as horror movies go, Halloween was a highly profitable film. Shot on a budget of $325,000, this American independent slasher film made $70 million at the box office. Its low-budget production and simple yet terrifying story about a masked killer in a small town set the standard for the slasher genre.

Mad Max (1979)

Filmed on a budget of $400,000 (Australian dollars), Mad Max set a Guinness world record for the most profitable film ever. That’s after earning a gross revenue of $100 million worldwide. With an exceptional dystopian storyline, it raised the standard for action films in Hollywood with its intense chase scenes.

Friday the 13th (1980)

Among movies that made multiples of its budget, this one stands out for its perfect blend of nastiness and horror. Shot on a budget of $550,000, it soon became the top slasher series in the US. It was a significant box office success, grossing $59.8 million worldwide—well over 100 times its budget.

El Mariachi  (1992)

This low-budget action movie is totally out of the box as it was initially a Spanish-language project. Its innovative style and interesting plot caught the attention of Hollywood, leading to its release and significant box-office success. It’s the cheapest film to gross $1 million at the box office.

The Full Monty (1997)

This British comedy-drama was shot with $3.5 million and has since hit almost $260 million in box-office success. The Full Monty became an international sensation due to its heartwarming storyline. Another benefit? It impacted the movie landscape for its humorous take on serious issues, which led to its popularity and financial success.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

With an innovative marketing campaign, this American supernatural horror film grossed 4,000 times more than its initial budget of $35,000-$60,000. We are talking about a whopping $248.6 million at the box office. Despite its low budget, it was one of the most successful independent films.

The Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

This romantic comedy about a woman’s journey to marry outside her Greek heritage struck a chord with audiences. It received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing $368.7 million worldwide against its $5 million budget. Its relatable humor and charming cast turned it into a big hit.

Open Water (2003)

Based on a true story, this thriller about a couple stranded in shark-infested waters used its low budget to create an intense but realistic experience that resonated with audiences and made substantial profits. Open Water grossed $55.5 million on a production fee of $500,000. 

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

On a cheap budget of $400,000, this quirky indie comedy was produced with a conscious effort to involve memorable characters and infuse unique humor through the plot. Surprisingly, it made a massive $46.1 million at the box office. This made it one of the highest-grossing movies worldwide.

Paranormal Activity (2007)

Let’s talk about a horror hit shot on literally no budget. Paramount raised the initial production cost of $15,000 to $215,000. This found-footage movie relied on suspense and psychological horror rather than special effects to save cost. Eventually, the film would hit $194.2 million at the box office. 

Once (2007)

One of the cheapest movies ever produced—Once, a modern-day musical film tells a simple love story set in Dublin, Ireland. The film’s heartfelt narrative and music resonated with audiences, turning a modest budget of $150,000 into a massive box-office success. This was recorded to be $23.3 million.

Slumdog Millonaire (2008)

It won’t be a complete list without mentioning this British drama. The film tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who competes on a game show. “Slumdog Millionaire” might not be on the low-budget side, but it made over 100 times its budget. It won eight Academy Awards.