Comedy films are perfect for every season, making it a convenient bait for producers to cash on expensive comedies. The genres blending fantasy and comedy have the most expensive budget for their high concept premise, use of CGI, and for having the highest-paid actors who have a multiplex screen presence.
Over time, comedy films have been the perfect gateways for families to get together and watch a film during the festive season, and the genre also holds a huge market in children’s films, making it a constantly profitable venture. Here are the most expensive comedy films ever made, which aimed for an entertaining big-screen experience.
Bruce Almighty
Bruce Almighty is a fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac, starring Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan and Morgan Freeman as God. Bruce plays a television reporter awaiting his break who gets a chance to be God for a week. He uses his powers to excel in his personal and professional life, but soon realizes being God is not an easy chore and there are no shortcuts to happiness.
The film was produced on a budget of $81 million in 2003 and made $242 million domestically and $484 million worldwide, making it the first highest-grossing film of the year. The film surprised the industry with its commercial success when it surpassed The Matrix Reloaded. The sequel of the film Evan Almighty starring Steve Carell reprising his role as Evan Baxter also became one of the most expensive comedy films of all time.
Bewitched
Betwitched is a romantic comedy fantasy film directed by Nora Ephron. The film had a star-studded ensemble cast which included Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, Jason Schwartzman, Kristin Chenoweth Heather Burns, Jim Turner, Stephen Colbert, David Alan Grier, Michael Badalucco, Carole Shelley, and Steve Carell. Ferrell plays a narcissistic actor who finds out his wife is a witch while he works on the remake of the 1960s sitcom Bewitched. The film was made on a budget of $85 million and earned a worldwide gross of $131.4 million and a total gross of $63.3 million in the United States. The film was considered a box office failure and was a comedic disappointment as well, even when it ranked second behind Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Tropic Thunder
Tropic Thunder, directed by Ben Stiller, is a satirical action comedy film that satirized war films focusing on the Vietnam War, the capitalist prowess behind Hollywood film studios, and the fetishization of method acting for an Oscar-baity performance. The film was produced on a budget of $92 million and grossed $110,515,313 in the United States and Canada and $85,187,498 in international markets, earning a total of $195,702,811 worldwide. The film had a stellar cast starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel, and Brandon T. Jackson with cameos from Nick Nolte, Danny McBride, Matthew McConaughey, Bill Hader, and Tom Cruise.
Sex and the City 2
Sex and the City 2 is a romantic comedy directed by Michael Patrick King and is a sequel to Sex and the City, based on the popular television series. The film stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kiristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon as they play their iconic characters with cameos from Liza Minnelli, Miley Cyrus, Tim Gunn, Ron White and Penélope Cruz. The sequel follows the friends on a trip to Abu Dhabi as the women come to terms with their personal failures and the pleasures luxuries can afford. The film was considered to be bloated by critics but was a commercial success, earning $294 million made on a budget of $95 million budget.
Fun with Dick and Jane
Fun with Dick and Jane is a black comedy directed by Dean Parisot and is a remake of the film of the same name released in 1977. The film starred Jim Carrey as Dick Harper and Téa Leoni as Jane Harper who resorts to robbery as Dick faces bankruptcy. The film was produced on a budget of $100 million and grossed $14 million in the opening weekend and came third behind King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The film was panned by critics for being inconsistent in tone and has a 29% on the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. The film eventually earned $202,026,112 worldwide, making it a commercial success.
Evan Almighty
Evan Almighty, directed by Tom Shadyac, is a comedy film and is a spin-off of the Jim Carrey blockbuster Bruce Almighty. The film stars Steve Carell as Evan Baxter and Morgan Freeman as God as, the film adapts Noah’s ark as Evan reluctantly follows God’s commands. The film was the most expensive comedy film in 2006 with multiple visual effects collaborating for the CGI work required to create the flood and animals. The initial budget of the film was set at $140 million. Later, the budget was re-adjusted to $175 million including the additional costs of set construction, visual effects, and filming animals in a controlled environment. The film grossed 174.4 million worldwide and received negative reviews for its loose storytelling. Later, Men in Black 3 overtook the budget for being the most expensive comedy film.
Men in Black 3
Men in Black 3 is a sequel to Men in Black and Men in Black II and is a sci-fi action comedy film that takes the audience back to alien accommodating Earth and Agent J, played by Will Smith, saving the planet from extra-terrestrial threats. The film also stars Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Emma Thompson. With a budget of $215 million, the film is one of the most expensive films ever made. The film managed to earn $654.2 million worldwide, which made the film the 10th highest-grossing film of 2012 and the highest-grossing film of the franchise. The film received mixed reviews and was considered a successful multiplex experience.
The Jumanji Franchise
The Jumanji franchise is based on the children’s book The Jumanji, which follows an adventurous game that comes to life where the players are transported to an alternate universe where one has to overcome obstacles in order to survive. The first film released in 1995 starred Robin Williams, which became an instant comedy classic. The second film, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, was released in 2017 starring Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, and Bobby Cannavale. The film was made on a budget of approximately $150 million and grossed $995.3 million worldwide, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film in 2017. Both Jack Black and Kevin Hart were played $10 million for playing their characters. The fourth installment of the franchise, Jumani: The Next Level grossed $801.7 million worldwide with a budget of $132 million, becoming the 10th highest-grossing film in 2019.
Gulliver's Travels
Gulliver’s Travels is a modern adaptation of the classic novel written by Jonathan Swift and directed by Rob Letterman, starring Jack Black as the protagonist of the film. In the film, Gulliver is a mailman and his dull life turns upside down when a vortex in the Bermuda Triangle transports him to the land of the Lilliput. The film also stars Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Chris O'Dowd, T.J Miller, James Corden, and Catherine Tate. The film was produced on a budget of $112 million and grossed $42.8 million in North America and $237.4 million worldwide. The film was poorly reviewed by critics for being heavily dependent on special effects and the humor not landing despite having a comedic talent like Jack Black in the film.
The Hangover Series
The Hangover started a trilogy of comedy films involving the misadventures of four friends who call themselves the Wolfpack. The plots involve a missing friend and a road trip to find the friend, while encountering eccentric crimes and laugh-out-loud moments of comedy of errors. The trilogy is directed by Todd Philips and stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis as the lead characters. The films are located in Las Vegas and Bangkok and have a blend of comedy and road trip elements in the film.
The first film was released in 2009 and was made on a budget of $35 million, earning $469.3 million worldwide. The Hangover II was made on a budget of $103 million and grossed $362 million worldwide, and The Hangover III grossed $586.8 million against a budget of $80 million, making the trilogy one of the most commercially successful comedy franchises of all time.
Little Fockers
Little Fockers is the third installment to the Meet the Parents series and stars Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Jessica Alba, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand. The film meets Greg Focker, played by Ben Stiller, after 10 years of his marriage as he smoothened his relationship with his father-in-law Jack, played by Robert De Niro. However, Greg’s new moonlighting venture with a drug company makes Jack suspicious, making Greg fight for his trust as the legitimate patriarch of the family again. The film was produced on a budget of $100 million and grossed $310 million worldwide, The commercial success of the first two films lead to De Niro and Stiller making $20 million each for Little Fockers. However, the film was poorly reviewed by critics for its lazy writing.