Chris Pratt’s $1B Mega Hit Beats Star Wars’ Most Expensive Movie Record

Chris Pratt‘s 2022 movie is reportedly the most expensive movie ever made. A recent report reveals what drove the costs up for the action-adventure. Previously, Disney held the record for the most expensive movie with its 2015 Star Wars reboot.

How Jurassic World Dominion surpassed budget record of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

NBCUniversal spent $658.8 million during the entire production of the Chris Pratt-led Jurassic World Dominion, Fortune reported, citing financial filings. In contrast, Disney spent $638.9 million on Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The majority of Dominion’s expenses were not due to paying hefty salaries or building elaborate sets. It was rather because the movie was filmed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This increased the cost of safety measures and the appropriate equipment required in the initial days.

However, when the pandemic worsened and the government implemented a lockdown, the filming came to a sudden halt, leaving the movie unfinished. Instead of rebuilding the sets and rehiring a team after the quarantine ended, Universal opted to continue paying the rent of the soundstages and salaries for some of its cast and crew. This was to ensure that when the pandemic’s effects lessened, everyone would be available to return to the shoot immediately.

The costs also included the cast’s five-month stay at Marriott’s Langley Hotel in the U.K. The rooms reportedly cost $600 per night each. Furthermore, Universal averaged 454 employees per month during peak production, paying out about $36.2 million in total staff costs. This excludes freelancers, contractors, and temporary staff.

Meanwhile, studios often create special production companies with secret code names. They do so to avoid attracting attention when applying for filming permits. Universal established Arcadia Pictures for Dominion, which filed financial reports over several years. This gives them time to record all expenses and receive tax incentives in stages. Its latest filing in 2026 reported an additional cost of $74.9 million, bringing the total to $658.8 million.

The true cost became public because of Arcadia’s filing. It had to file financial statements to qualify for the country’s film tax incentive program. The U.K.’s Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) reimbursed Universal about $127.8 million, ultimately reducing its cost to roughly $531 million.

Dominion made over a little over $1 billion at the global box office. But given that theaters take a 50% cut, Universal earned roughly $500 million. While this may seem like a financial loss for the studio, Blu-ray sales, merchandising, and streaming licensing likely made the movie profitable.

The post Chris Pratt’s $1B Mega Hit Beats Star Wars’ Most Expensive Movie Record appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.