Here’s Fortune reporting that Universal Pictures reportedly spent $658M making 2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion,” making it the “most expensive film ever made,” according to the magazine.
The evidence comes from a UK tax filing obtained by Fortune. That said, the film received a $127M rebate from the UK government, bringing its actual net budget down to approximately $531M.
‘Dominion’ surpassed a record previously held by 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which, according to the most recent reports, cost roughly $447M after tax rebates. Not too far behind them are “Avatar” ($425M), ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 4’ ($379M) and ‘“Avengers: Endgame” ($356M).
A significant factor driving up the ‘Dominion’ budget was timing. Much of the film was shot during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cast spent five months quarantining at the posh Langley Hotel near Pinewood Studios, living in a controlled bubble that served as both accommodation and a safety measure.
Previously, industry insiders had floated a much lower budget figure of $265M for the film, which is only further proof that one should always take trade reporting on budgets with a major grain of salt.
Despite its inflated budget and lukewarm critical reception, ‘Dominion’ grossed more than $1 billion worldwide. Early profit estimates from Deadline suggested net earnings of $235M, but those calculations did not account for the film’s full costs. As a result, the movie may actually have been unprofitable.
In hindsight, Universal’s decision to reboot the franchise with last year’s “Jurassic World Rebirth” makes a lot of sense. That film had a comparatively restrained budget of $265M.