Over the past decade , a exculpated pattern has egress in Hollywood : direct a successful , humble movie and get a large blockbuster in replication . That small motion picture does n’t even have to be that successful , either — it just has to be good , and your next film can have a budget up to 200 times the size . And also , you pretty much have to be a human beings .

But that changes this weekend with the release of Wonder Woman . The DC superhero film is only the second theatrical characteristic of conductor Patty Jenkins and , with a budget describe around $ 150 million , it ’s not only one of the big budgets ever given to a distaff conductor , it ’s a massive step up from her first feature , Monster , which cost only $ 8 million .

Jenkins ’ move to the major may seem like grown news , but that ’s only because of her sexuality ; this kind of escalation has sure as shooting happened before , but until now , only with male directors . This is just a small leaning of some of the many massively budgeted films directed by men — men whose previous works were tiny in comparability , but studio decide to take a chance on anyway .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

Please note : All budget info comes fromBox Office Mojo ; if the budget is n’t usable , that means it ’s never been publicly been report and is belike less than $ 10 million . Also , this is n’t in any way a criticism of the talent of anyone mentioned here — we’re just point out the disparity .

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Budget : $ 230 million

Directors : Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg

Previous lineament : Kon - Tiki , budget unknown , grossed $ 22 million worldwide ( mostly internationally ) and was nominated for an Oscar .

William Duplessie

The Amazing Spider-Man

Director : Marc Webb

Previous feature : His debut , 500 years of Summer , cost $ 7.5 million and gross $ 60 million worldwide .

The Avengers

Budget : $ 220 million

conductor : Joss Whedon

Previous feature : His debut , Serenity , cost $ 39 million and grossed $ 39 million worldwide . At least he ’d previously done a ton of successful TV .

Starship Test 9

Kong: Skull Island

Budget : $ 185 million

managing director : Jordan Vogt - Roberts

Previous feature : His debut , The king of Summer , budget stranger , grossed only $ 1.3 million worldwide but was a critical succeeder .

Lilo And Stitch 2025

Guardians of the Galaxy

Budget : $ 170 million

Director : James Gunn

old lineament : Before Guardians , his most late moving picture , Super , be $ 2.5 million and grossed $ 327,000 worldwide . Before that he did Slither , which cost $ 15 million and grossed $ 12 million .

CMF by Nothing Phone 2 Pro has an Essential Key that’s an AI button

Jurassic World

Budget : $ 150 million

Director : Colin Trevorrow

former feature : His entry , Safety Not Guaranteed , budget unknown , grossed $ 4 million worldwide and was a vital bang .

Photo: Jae C. Hong

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Director : David Yates

former feature : His only other feature , 1998 ’s The Tichborne Claimant , does n’t have a reported budget or gross . He ’d mostly done a lot of TV .

Godzilla

Budget : $ 160 million

Director : Gareth Edwards

Previous feature film : lusus naturae be $ 500,000 and grossed $ 4 million worldwide .

Doctor Who Omega

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

Budget : $ 135 million

Director : Dave Green

late feature : His debut , Earth to Echo , cost $ 13 million and gross $ 45 million worldwide .

Roborock Saros Z70 Review

Fantastic Four

Budget : $ 120 million

theater director : Josh Trank

Previous feature : His entry , Chronicle , be $ 12 million and gross $ 125 million worldwide .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

The lean go on and on and on , and it is n’t a trend that ’s end soon . Here are some upcoming film in the same radiation pattern . We do n’t know the budgets of any of these movies , as they are still being influence , but it ’s secure to assume they ’re all in the $ 200 million - plus range .

Spider-Man: Homecoming

film director : Jon Watts

Previous characteristic : Cop Car , budget terra incognita , gross only $ 130,000 worldwide but stimulate great reviews .

Thor: Ragnarok

Director : Taika Waititi

Previous lineament : hunting for the Wilderpeople , budget unknown , grossed $ 5 million worldwide and was considered one of 2016 ’s best plastic film .

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

managing director : Rian Johnson

Previous lineament : Looper , which cost   $ 30 million and gross $ 175 million worldwide .

Godzilla vs. Kong

Director : Adam Wingard

old feature : Blair Witch , which cost $ 5 million and grossed $ 66 million worldwide .

Were you also wondering what the high grossing films of all time direct by women are — as well how much they cost , and the director ’s previous film ? I ’m glad you asked . Here are the top - grossing picture of all time guide by one cleaning lady .

William Duplessie

Kung Fu Panda 2

utter : $ 666 million worldwide

Director : Jennifer Yuh Nelson in her feature debut , but she ’d been working on picture show since the early ‘ 90s . It took almost 20 years for her to get a feature picture .

Fifty Shades of Grey

Budget : $ 40 million

pure : $ 571 million worldwide

Director : Sam Taylor - Johnson , who had done one lineament , Nowhere Boy , budget unknown with a $ 6.5 million cosmopolitan gross .

Starship Test 9

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Budget : $ 75 million

Gross : $ 443 million worldwide

conductor : Betty Thomas , whose late feature article included The Brady Bunch Movie , I Spy , Doctor Dolittle , and Private Parts , all of which had close to similar budgets . She also has n’t directed a feature since .

Lilo And Stitch 2025

Twilight

Budget : $ 37 million

Gross : $ 394 million worldwide

Director : Catherine Hardwicke , whose premature feature was the $ 35 million Nativity Story .

Roborock Saros Z70 Review

What Women Want

Budget : $ 70 million

Gross : $ 374 million worldwide

manager : Nancy Myers , who at the sentence had antecedently only directed Disney ’s remake of The Parent Trap , budget unknown .

Polaroid Flip 09

Pitch Perfect 2

Budget : $ 29 million

rank : $ 288 million worldwide

Director : Elizabeth Banks , in her feature debut , who has been play since 1998 .

Feno smart electric toothbrush

Most of these directors were either working with well below $ 100 million in terms of budget , or did n’t make a huge leap from their previous film . The exception all have caveats , like being a less risky alive sequel or adjustment of one of the most popular books in years . Plus , this is us considering films released all time and in all music genre , not just the last few years of blockbusters , like the top mathematical group .

So yes , Wonder Woman is a significant milestone in Hollywood . And Ava DuVernay , going from the $ 20 million Selma to the Disney tentpole A Wrinkle in Time might even be the next film director to buck the tendency . A trend , hopefully , we see continue .

MoviesWonder Woman

Govee Game Pixel Light 06

Daily Newsletter

Get the best technical school , skill , and culture news show in your inbox daily .

News from the future tense , delivered to your present tense .

You May Also Like