10 Films That Cost WAY More Than They Needed To

Because Batman films usually involve elaborate sets and extensive action sequences, it's no surprise adaptations like The Dark Knight Rises and Batman v Superman cost upwards of $250 million.

Matt Reeves decided to go in a different direction while making The Batman. Instead of churning out a CGI-filled blockbuster, Reeves crafted a detective noir story, focusing more on internal struggles, confrontations, and grounded fight scenes. With the downscaled action, the budget was expected to be $100 million.

In the end, The Batman cost around double that amount

But why? The movie’s biggest set pieces are the car chase with the Penguin and the flood during the climax. Because these scenes involved a lot of explosions and destroyed vehicles, it would’ve set the budget back a few mil. But even if those scenes cost ten million dollars or so, how did the budget get so high?

The short answer is: the pandemic. Due to multiple crew members and cast were diagnosed with Covid (including lead star, Robert Pattinson), the film was delayed by nearly a year. Because the production kept stopping and restarting, it took its toll on the project's finances.

The Batman may have earned nearly quadruple its budget but it could have octupled it, if it maintained its original financial plan.