Category: Finance | Title: Impossible Movies in Order: A Fact-Based Guide to the Most Ambitious Film Franchises | Tag: Impossible Movies | Meta Description: A factual, query-focused list of impossible movies in order, with data on budgets, box office, and production companies...
1. The Most Expensive Impossible Movies Ever Made
Avengers: Endgame (2019), produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios, had a reported production budget of $356 million, making it one of the most expensive films ever made. The film grossed $2.798 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, and required over 3,000 visual effects shots from more than a dozen studios including Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital. Read more on Forbes.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), produced by Lightstorm Entertainment and distributed by 20th Century Studios, had a reported budget of $350 million to $460 million. The film earned $2.320 billion globally and used groundbreaking underwater performance capture technology developed by Weta Digital and Cameron's team. Details on Forbes.
2. Longest Production Timelines for Impossible Movies
Films That Took Over a Decade to Complete
The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003), produced by New Line Cinema and WingNut Films, took 15 years from development to the release of The Return of the King. Director Peter Jackson shot principal photography back-to-back for all three films in New Zealand, with a combined budget of $281 million. The trilogy grossed $2.917 billion worldwide and won 17 Academy Awards.
The Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014), produced by New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and WingNut Films, had a combined budget of $745 million and took 9 years from pre-production to the final release. The trilogy earned $2.917 billion globally and used 4K HFR (48 frames per second) technology, a first for major feature films. Forbes analysis.
3. Highest-Grossing Impossible Movies by Franchise
Marvel Cinematic Universe Box Office Rankings
As of the latest public box office data, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grossed over $30 billion worldwide across 34 films, with Avengers: Endgame ranking first at $2.798 billion. The franchise is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, with Kevin Feige serving as producer since Iron Man in 2008. Box Office Mojo data.
The Fast & Furious franchise, produced by Universal Pictures, has grossed over $7.3 billion worldwide across 11 films as of Fast X (2023). Fast & Furious 7 (2015) earned $1.516 billion and required a $190 million budget, with the film completing after the death of star Paul Walker using a combination of his brothers and CGI. Forbes coverage.