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Among the 2026 films with reported budgets cited here, Toy Story 5 leads at $250 million, according to the Associated Press. Project Hail Mary and Michael are each reported to have cost close to $200 million. These figures offer a year-to-date snapshot as of October 8, 2026—not a complete or final ranking of the year’s releases.
What are the most expensive movies of 2026 so far?
The Associated Press (AP) reported the following production costs for selected 2026 releases. The figures are not a comprehensive list, and the reporting does not establish a single accounting basis for every film.
![Scary Movie (2026) [Blu-Ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51xSX52LEGL._SL160_.jpg)
| Film | Reported production figure | Source and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Toy Story 5 | $250 million | AP-reported budget; The Numbers also lists a $250 million production budget, without explaining its accounting basis. AP · The Numbers |
| Project Hail Mary | Close to $200 million | AP-reported production cost; The Numbers lists a $200 million production budget but does not explain its accounting basis. AP · The Numbers |
| Michael | Close to $200 million | AP-reported total production cost; the report describes it as approximate. AP |
| The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | $110 million | AP-reported cost; Illumination’s most expensive film at the time of the report. AP |
| Minions & Monsters | $85 million | AP-reported cost. AP |
On these reported figures, Toy Story 5 sits above the two productions described as near $200 million. AP’s figures also show that major franchise films can have substantially different reported production costs: its $110 million figure for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and $85 million for Minions & Monsters are well below the Toy Story 5 figure. That comparison says nothing by itself about either film’s quality or profitability.
Why this is not a final 2026 ranking
The calendar year is still in progress, and the figures above cover selected films for which the cited reporting supplies costs. They do not establish every 2026 release’s budget or provide a fully comparable, audited league table. Published numbers can also refer to different things—such as gross production cost or net outlay after incentives—so a ranking can shift depending on the accounting basis.
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What a movie budget includes—and what it leaves out
Production cost is not the full release spend
A production budget is not the same as the total cost of bringing a film to audiences. AP notes that marketing for a $200 million film can come close to the production budget. Distribution expenses and other release costs are separate considerations, so a production figure alone should not be treated as a complete measure of studio spending. AP’s reporting on Project Hail Mary discusses that distinction.
Tax reimbursements can change the net outlay
A useful example outside the 2026 release list is Jurassic World: Dominion. Fortune’s analysis of UK company filings reported $658.8 million in total production costs, a $127.8 million reimbursement, and a $531 million net outlay. Those figures illustrate how gross production cost and a studio’s net outlay can differ in a specific case; they should not be applied as a general adjustment to other films. Fortune’s filing analysis
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Does a bigger budget mean a bigger hit?
Not on the evidence in these reports. A production budget is one cost figure, not a forecast of ticket sales or profit. Subtracting it from worldwide box-office receipts would not establish a film’s earnings: marketing and distribution costs also matter, and AP notes that studios may value streaming-platform attention as part of a film’s commercial goals. The available figures do not support a direct comparison of the films’ eventual profitability.
Box-office milestones are a separate measure, too. NBCUniversal said Universal crossed $5 billion in global theatrical box office on September 25, 2026. That is a studio-level gross milestone, not a production-budget figure or proof of profitability for any one movie. NBCUniversal’s announcement
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- In Disney’s live-action reimagining of the beloved animated adventure, Moana (Catherine Lagaʻaia) answers the Ocean’s call and voyages beyond her island’s reef with the infamous demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on a journey to restore prosperity to her people. Some flashing lights sequences or patterns may affect photosensitive viewers.
How Illumination describes its approach to budgets
AP reported that Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri described the studio’s approach as disciplined: “In 19 years, I cannot remember a single conversation where a director came back and said: We need more money. It’s just not part of our ethos.” That is Meledandri’s account of his studio’s practice, not evidence that other studios work the same way. AP’s interview report
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- Runtime: 109 minutes
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