Disney has released hundreds of movies since its inception in 1923. Some of them have been big hits, others not so much. They're a company with deep pockets that they're not afraid to spend big bucks to get a good return. Franchise hits like Star Wars and the MCU have earned them millions of dollars in profit, but others have been total flops.

Update October 22, 2023: In honor of Disney's 100th Anniversary, this article has been updated with even more of Disney's most expensive films.

Disney's first animated feature film was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which was released in 1937. It was an insanely profitable movie, costing about $1.5 million to make and earning about $418 million in various forms over the years. Other Disney productions have not been so lucky. The Lone Ranger was a critical and financial bomb, costing $225-$250 to make, barely breaking even at the box office. These are some of the most expensive films Disney has ever made that are not Marvel or Star Wars.

15 The Jungle Book - $175 Million

Jon Favreau helmed the live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book, touting a star-studded ensemble cast including big names like Bill Murray, Idris Elba, and Scarlett Johansson and telling the story of the orphan boy Mowgli who is forced to flee his home among wolves and venture into the jungle after being threatened by the terrifying tiger Shere Khan. Mowgli meets the lovable bear Baloo and fierce protector Bagheera on his life-altering journey of self-discovery.

The remake of the animated '60s classic ended up with a budget of $175 million and ultimately dominated the box office, raking in a whopping $966.6 million during its run. Both audiences and critics were blown away by Favreau's impeccable direction and stunning CGI and visuals, and due to its massive success, a sequel is currently in development at Disney.

14 Alice in Wonderland - $200 Million

From the delightfully dark and Gothic mind of Tim Burton comes the spectacular fantasy film Alice in Wonderland, a live-action reimagining of the Lewis Carroll children's novel and '50s animated picture that centers on the precocious and headstrong titular character (Mia Wasikowska) as she finds herself transported to a wondrous world full of colorful creatures like the eccentric Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and the wicked Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter).

Burton was Disney's first and only choice to direct the engrossing adaptation, as the studio believed his "unique vision and voice that would really give the project that special look and memorable characters." With such an esteemed director and ensemble cast to accommodate, the picture had a hefty $200 million price tag but proved to be a critical and commercial hit, taking in over $1 billion and spawning a 2016 sequel.

13 Incredibles 2 - $200 Million

The long-awaited sequel to the 2004 animated blockbuster, Incredibles 2 once again reunited eager audiences with the beloved Parr family as the superhero clan take on a dangerous new foe who wants to turn the public against them by hypnotizing the entire world via hacking their computer monitors. Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, and Samuel L. Jackson all reprised their roles from the original flick, with Brad Bird also returning to direct the lauded follow-up.

The Disney/Pixar joint venture received a $200 million budget, partly because the latter studio had to recreate the characters from scratch due to them not using the same systems utilized in the first film. The studios also spent a mind-boggling $150 million to promote the sequel. This major gamble ended up paying off as Incredibles 2 grossed over $1.2 billion at the box office and nearly doubled the profits of the first movie.

12 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - $225 Million

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, released in 2008, is a sequel to the highly acclaimed movie The Chronicles of Narnia. Co-produced by Disney and Walden Media, Prince Caspian came with a $225 million price tag, making it one of Disney's most expensive fantasy films ever. With many Narnia fans considering the first film one of the best movies to watch for Easter, considerable hype was built up for the sequel.

The movie continued to follow the adventures of the Pevencie children, who discovered the magical world of Narnia in a secret wardrobe in the first film. The time between the two films was only three years, but at the time, it felt like an eternity for an audience familiar with the Narnia books the movies are based on. Fans lost interest and didn't show up to the theaters.

11 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - $225 Million

Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and the rest of the swashbuckling gang were back for another adventure in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which follows the bumbling, eccentric Sparrow as he faces off against the ghoulish Davy Jones while being relentlessly pursued by the legendary sea monster the Kraken. After the overwhelming success of the original film, cast, and crew members like Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley signed on to star in two sequels that would be filmed back-to-back, though the film was almost completely scrapped because of mounting costs and an incomplete script.

Disney became heavily invested in the franchise and attached a $225 million budget to the sequel, and at the time of its worldwide release, Dead Man's Chest became the fastest film to gross over $1 billion (doing so in 63 days, though it has since been surpassed). It was the highest-grossing movie of the year and was Disney's most financially successful project until Toy Story 3.

10 Maleficent - $226 Million

Angelina Jolie stars as the title character in Maleficent. As a young girl, Maleficent lives a great life in a beautiful forest kingdom. When her kingdom is attacked, however, she must rise up to defend it. Maleficent stabs the invading King Henry, and the King vows that whoever avenges his death can marry his daughter Aurora.

The movie cost an astounding $226 million to make, but it wasn't for nothing. Maleficent performed better with audiences than some of Disney's other pricey ventures, and it was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. Jolie reprised the role for a sequel in 2019 called Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

9 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales - $230 Million

The second of several Pirates entries on the list, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. In this most recent installment of the popular franchise, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) must overcome his self-doubt to fight off Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) and his deadly gang of ghost pirates. Salazar has emerged from the Devil's Triangle and is determined to kill every pirate left at sea.

Disney wrote a check for $230 million to get this fifth Pirates movie made, and they brought in a great villain to try to get audiences to come see it in theaters. The whole movie was shot in Australia, where Disney benefited from some positive tax incentives. In the end, Dead Men Tell No Tales was a commercial hit, pulling in almost $795 million at the box office.

8 The Little Mermaid - $250 Million

Disney's latest live-action adaptation of their celebrated animated classic, The Little Mermaid, enlisted the talent of singer Halle Berry to star in the eponymous role, focusing on the curious and adventurous mermaid Ariel as she finds herself falling in love with the handsome human Prince Eric while unknowingly being targeted by the conniving sea witch Ursula, whom she makes a dangerous deal with.

Rob Marshall directed the breathtaking picture, which set the internet ablaze when the teaser trailer was released, attracting more than 104 million global views during its first weekend available. The Little Mermaid has grossed over $569 million on a $250 million budget. Some consider it a flop, others a hit. Whatever you call it, it is clear Disney spent a lot of money on this one.

7 The Lone Ranger - $250 Million

The Lone Ranger is well known as one of Disney's biggest box office flops ever. The film cost upwards of $250 million to make and only made $260 million at the box office, losing money considering the marketing costs associated with the movie. Armie Hammer stars as the titular character who seeks revenge for the death of his brother in the Old West. His sidekick Tonto (Johnny Depp) is along for the ride, trying to find the perpetrators who massacred his tribe as a child.

The Lone Ranger was almost doomed to fail from the start. Working with a rewritten script that wasn't coming together, the film hit a production snag and exceeded the original budget. Hammer, Depp, director Gore Verbinski, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer all took a 20% pay cut to finish the movie, but the results weren't worth the effort.

6 Beauty and the Beast - $255 Million

Disney has been on a roll with their live-action remakes lately, and Beauty and the Beast is one of the best ones. Harry Potter actress Emma Watson stars as Belle, a book-loving village girl who volunteers to trade places with her father when he is captured by a seemingly bad creature. As the Beast's prisoner, Belle tries to see his good side and finds out he is trapped in his animalistic body by an evil curse.

Beauty and the Beast was shot in England with a budget of about $255 million. It took two months to shoot but it was well worth the effort. When the film was released in 2017, audiences loved it, and it grossed over $1.2 billion at the box office. Disney had a smash hit on their hands, which is a big reason why they're releasing more and more live-action remakes of their classic films every year.

5 The Lion King - $260 Million

The Lion King was another remake that turned out to be a big hit for Disney. Donald Glover voices Simba, a lion cub who is set to inherit his father Mufasa's kingdom one day. Mufasa's brother Scar becomes insanely jealous that he's not the heir to the throne and devises an evil plan to take out Mufasa and blame his death on Simba.

Directed by Jon Favreau, The Lion King utilized CGI technology to the max, creating beautiful scenes of African landscapes. Critics praised the new voice cast, which also featured Chiwetel Ejiofor, Seth Rogan, and John Oliver, among others. The movie was another profitable one for Disney, making $1.6 billion at the box office against a $260 million budget.

4 Tangled - $260 Million

Inspired by the fairy tale Rapunzel, recorded in the early 1800s by the Brothers Grimm, Tangled is considered a great Disney+ movie to watch on a rainy day. Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is trapped in a tower by her evil godmother, Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), but she doesn't know why. When Rapunzel meets lowly thief Flynn Ryder by chance, she talks him into helping her escape.

As far as animated movies go, Tangled is cute, light, and funny. It's also pricey, with Disney shelling out $260 million to get the film made. Part of this was because of how long the movie was in development for, almost over ten years, and went through multiple shifts in story and even style. Audiences around the world love it, though. It made over $590 million at the box office and holds a healthy 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

3 John Carter - $300 Million

In John Carter, Taylor Kitsch plays the title character, who is a soldier embroiled in battle during the Civil War. After being accidentally transported to the planet Barsoom (Mars), Carter is caught in the middle of a war between the planet's inhabitants. Because of Barsoom's atmosphere, Carter transformed from a normal human to a soldier with super strength and the ability to jump high.

Directed by Andrew Stanton, who is known for Pixar movies like Finding Nemo and WALL-E, John Carter cost a small fortune to produce. A number of title, editing, and shooting changes caused the budget for the film to skyrocket. Disney spent upwards of $300 million on the movie and didn't even end up making all of it back. John Carter is regarded as one of the biggest bombs of all time, and the only silver lining for Disney in 2012 was that was the same year they released The Avengers, which helped cover the cost lost by John Carter.

2 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - $300 Million

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is the second most expensive movie Disney has ever made. This third installment in the Pirates series sees Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) rescued from Davey Jones's locker by Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly) and former enemy Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). The group must then confront Chinese pirate Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat) and battle him for control of the ocean.

With a $300 million price tag, At World's End could have easily been a huge flop. Instead, the movie grossed about $961 million at the box office. More sequels followed, and the budget for subsequent films grew as well. The film series has been so successful that producer Jerry Buckheimer wants Depp back for another sequel.

1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - $410 Million

Following the success of At World's End, it's no wonder its sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides got a massive budget from Disney. The movie came out in 2011 and reportedly cost upwards of $410 million to make. On Stranger Tides follows Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he's reunited with a past love named Angelica (Penelope Cruz). Angelica is unhappy with how their relationship ended, however, and takes Captain Jack to see Blackbeard (Ian McShane) who now helms a ship called Queen Anne's Revenge.

The group goes on an expedition to find the Fountain of Youth, which will free Blackbeard from his fate as a dead man. Along the way, the pirates on Queen Anne's Revenge race against Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) who's also trying to find the Fountain. It's a bit of a convoluted plot, but moviegoers didn't seem to mind. The film grossed over $1 billion at the box office and kept the Pirates legacy afloat for years.