Low Budget Movies That Made More Than Their Money Back
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MTV Films
Sometimes, it can feel like we only live in an era of big-budget, star-studded movies. After all, it seems like almost every film in the theater cost the studio hundreds of millions of dollars and features every celebrity under the sun! Unfortunately, while fun, these types of movies can often stifle the voices of low budget movie creators!
So, if you’re looking for something different to watch this weekend, we’ve collected the best low budget movies that turned into massive financial successes. From Little Miss Sunshine to Mad Max, these low budget films proved that you don’t need a big budget or massive stars to have a hit movie!
1. The Blair Witch Project – $60,000
If you were heading to the theater in the ’90s, you likely remember the release of The Blair Witch project in 1999. After all, it was one of the first low budget movies to feature the “found footage” gimmick. In fact, the result was so startling and new that some viewers believed that the fictional documentary was real! Of course, the brilliant marketing campaign, which included an equally-convincing website and involved the actors hiding out, didn’t hurt either!
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Artisan Entertainment
In the end, the Blair Witch project went on to make $238 million, while costing only $60,000. Yes, you read that right! Today, it still remains the most profitable horror film of all time.
2. The Full Monty – $3.5 Million
If you’ve never seen it, the Fully Monty is a Britsh cult classic that is just as popular today as it was when it was released in 1997. The film focuses on four unemployed men who, after losing their steel-working jobs, try to become male stripers. Critics praised its heart and charm, and it earned several Academy Awards nominations, including one for Best Picture.
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Redwave Films
However, critics weren’t the only ones who loved the Full Monty, audiences did too! With a modest $3.5 million budget, the movie still ended up making a whopping $258 million! Meanwhile, it continues to make quite a bit of money today, thanks to strong, continued home video sales.
3. Little Miss Sunshine – $8 Million
One of the most recent low budget films on the list, no one expected Little Miss Sunshine to become a runaway hit. The 2006 film tells the story of a family’s cross-country road trip on the way to the youngest member’s first beauty pageant. An instant success, Little Miss Sunshine made over $100 million against a budget of only $8 million!
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Fox Searchlight
Audiences loved the film, and so did critics. After its release, Little Miss Sunshine earned multiple nominations at the 79th Academy Awards, taking home two of them, including Best Supporting Actor for Alan Arkin. The movie became so beloved that it also became a musical in 2011!
4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding – $5 Million
Believe it or not, the 2002 hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding’s budget was so small that the production company only spent $1 million on its marketing campaign. For those who haven’t seen it, Wedding stars the film’s writer, Nia Vardalos, as a Greek woman intending to tie the knot to a non-Greek man. As you might imagine, it does not go exactly as planned!
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IFC Films
Across the world, the family dynamics portrayed in My Big Fat Greek Wedding struck an emotional chord with millions. As a result, they returned again and again, causing the film to earn a massive $368 million profit against a $5 million budget! However, it’s no wonder Wedding turned into such a hit: it was produced by the legendary Tom Hanks. He sure knows how to pick them!