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MOVIES
Budgets
Most Profitable Movies Based on Investment Return
This list features movies that have earned the highest return of investment in film history.
RANK | FILMS | BUDGET | PROFIT | RETURN OF INVESTMENT | YEAR |
1 | Facing the Giants | $100,000 | $24,813,853 | 24,714% | 2006 |
2 | Paranormal Activity | $450,000 | $89,974,433 | 19,894% | 2009 |
3 | A Charlie Brown Christmas | $150,000 | $25,638,187 | 16,992% | 2009 |
4 | The Blair Witch Project | $600,000 | $83,224,000 | 13,771% | 1999 |
5 | Halloween | $325,000 | $33,250,000 | 10,131% | 1978 |
6 | Super Size Me | $65,000 | $6,427,904 | 9,789% | 2004 |
7 | Fireproof | $500,000 | $47,794,934 | 9,459% | 2008 |
8 | The Gallows | $100,000 | $7,585,964 | 7,486% | 2015 |
9 | Eraserhead | $100,000 | $5,472,829 | 5,373% | 1977 |
10 | Friday the 13th | $550,000 | $27,073,301 | 4,822% | 1980 |
References
The Numbers (2025) ‘Movie Budgets’, The Numbers, Nash Information Services LLC. Available at: https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/budgets (Accessed 1 December 2025).
Wikipedia. (2025). List of most expensive films. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_films [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Wikipedia. (2025). List of most expensive films record-holders. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_films#Record-holders [Accessed 1 December 2025].
IGN. (2025). Most expensive movies. [online] Available at: https://www.ign.com/articles/most-expensive-movies [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Collider. (2025). Most expensive movies. [online] Available at: https://collider.com/most-expensive-movies/ [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Cosmopolitan. (2025). Most expensive movies. [online] Available at: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/movies/g60319616/most-expensive-movies/ [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Jagran Josh. (2025). List of top most expensive movies in the world. [online] Available at: https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/list-of-top-most-expensive-movies-in-the-world-1724134432-1 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
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