Moonlight (2016)
Initial budget: $1.5 million
Adjusted for inflation: $1.55 million
◄ IMDb Polls
Poll: Oscar Best Picture Winners Made on the Cheap
At first glance, $25 million may seem like a lot money. Certainly, it is enough to keep the lights on at home, but it wouldn't cover the expenses of many major motion pictures. While Hollywood is generally secretive about its accounting, it is not a secret that it is common for major movies to have budgets that exceed $100 million. Since 2000, no fewer than 75 movies had budgets that even soared past $200 million (inflation-adjusted).
Officially, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) holds the record for the most expensive film ever with a production budget of $378.5 million or $412 million inflation-adjusted, while The Hobbit trilogy is the most expensive back-to-back film production with combined costs of $623 million or $675.6 million inflation-adjusted (after tax credits).
When compared to the cost of some of Hollywood's bigger budget productions, these Oscar winners were made for pennies on the dollar, relatively speaking. Sources: Wikipedia, Box Office Mojo, The Numbers and Business Insider
Which of these select Oscar-winning Best Picture movies produced on a relatively inexpensive budget* is your favorite? *maximum $25m inflation adjusted budget in 2018 U.S. Dollars and a 7.0+ IMDb rating
After voting, discuss the topic here.
Make Your Choice
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Marty (1955)
Initial budget: $0.35 millionAdjusted for inflation: $3.26 million
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Rocky (1976)
Initial budget: $960,000Adjusted for inflation: $4.18 million
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It Happened One Night (1934)
Initial budget: $ 0.325 millionAdjusted for inflation: $ 6.085 million
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Hamlet (1948)
Initial budget: $ 678,783 (£527,530)Adjusted for inflation: $7.072 million (£5.496 million)
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Crash (2004)
Initial budget: $6.5 millionAdjusted for inflation: $8.2 million
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On the Waterfront (1954)
Initial budget: $0.91 millionAdjusted for inflation: $8.42 million
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Chariots of Fire (1981)
Initial budget: $5.5 millionAdjusted for inflation: $10.999 million
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Casablanca (1942)
Initial budget: $0.878 millionAdjusted for inflation: $12.94 million
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How Green Was My Valley (1941)
Initial budget: $0.8 millionAdjusted for inflation: $13.02 million
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The French Connection (1971)
Initial budget: $2.2 millionAdjusted for inflation: $13.39 million
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Grand Hotel (1932)
Initial budget: $ 0.75 millionAdjusted for inflation: $ 13.45 million
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Platoon (1986)
Initial budget: $6 millionAdjusted for inflation: $13.5 million
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All About Eve (1950)
Initial budget: $1.4 millionAdjusted for inflation: $14.17 million
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In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Initial budget: $2.2 millionAdjusted for inflation: $14.87 million
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Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
Initial budget: $7.5 millionAdjusted for inflation: $14.991 million
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A Man for All Seasons (1966)
Initial budget: $2.2 millionAdjusted for inflation: $15.14 million
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From Here to Eternity (1953)
Initial budget: $1.65 millionAdjusted for inflation: $15.27 million
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Annie Hall (1977)
Initial budget: $4 millionAdjusted for inflation: $16.36 million
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The Artist (2011)
Initial budget: $15 millionAdjusted for inflation: $16.5 million
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The King's Speech (2010)
Initial budget: $15 millionAdjusted for inflation: $17.05 million
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The Lost Weekend (1945)
Initial budget: $1.25 millionAdjusted for inflation: $17.2 million
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Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Initial budget: $15 millionAdjusted for inflation: $17.26 million
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The Hurt Locker (2008)
Initial budget: $15 millionAdjusted for inflation: $17.3 million
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All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Initial budget: $ 1.2 millionAdjusted for inflation: $ 17.58 million
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Ordinary People (1980)
Initial budget: $6 millionAdjusted for inflation: $18.04 million
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Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Initial budget: $18 millionAdjusted for inflation: $18.84 million
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Terms of Endearment (1983)
Initial budget: $8 millionAdjusted for inflation: $19.9 million
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Initial budget: $4.4 millionAdjusted for inflation: $20.27 million
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Spotlight (2015)
Initial budget: $20 millionAdjusted for inflation: $20.91 million
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12 Years a Slave (2013)
Initial budget: $20 millionAdjusted for inflation: $21.28 million
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American Beauty (1999)
Initial budget: $15 millionAdjusted for inflation: $22.3 million
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Green Book (2018)
Initial budget: $23 millionAdjusted for inflation: $23.0 million
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The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Initial budget: $2.8 millionAdjusted for inflation: $24.55 million
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Unforgiven (1992)
Initial budget: $14 millionAdjusted for inflation: $24.73 million
