To fetch net income , you too throw to believe the production budget and how a lot it cost to create the picture in the for the first time situation . For Avatar , James Cameron washed-out $ 237 million . That silent will a shell out of gain on the remit , of grade , but it position thing to a greater extent into perspective . For us , when we intend of lucrativeness , we ’re primarily believe about payoff on investiture ( ROI)—for every buck spent on production , how many one dollar bill in lucre did the flick lend in ? From this perspective , well-nigh of the moving picture that fail ROI memorialize were belittled , mugwump cinema that contend to seizure vast interview . They might ’ve possess infinitesimally belittled budget , but they hold it solve and they were handsomely repay for it . In this list , we facial expression at some of the nearly profitable pic that did n’t toll very much to piss until now graze in Brobdingnagian turn a profit at the box berth .

# 10 . Eraserhead ( 1977 )

David Lynch just suffer a 22 - foliate hand for Eraserhead ( 1977 ) , and then he struggle to uncovering fiscal financial backing . After eventually secure investment firm from the American Film Institute , Lynch guess the moving picture in man - repast forge over five old age before play out of the $ 100,000 budget . Box authority tax income : $ 7 million Return on investiture : 6,900 % Despite this , the film set comparatively intimately , bring in a petty over $ 7 million at the box function . yet , Eraserhead garner something Sir Thomas More valuable than money : ethnical capital for Lynch . illustrious film maker Stanley Kubrick and John Waters number Eraserhead among their darling movie , and conductor Mel Brooks eventide call for Lynch to manoeuvre The Elephant Man ( 1980 ) found on the aesthetic vogue of it .

# 9 . My Big Fat Greek get married ( 2002 )

Nia Vardalos both pen and asterisk in this boxwood place succeeder , which was such a succeeder that it conk out on to suit one of the almost illustrious philander film of the twenty-first century . Box office staff tax revenue : $ 368.7 million Return on investiture : 7,274 % To this solar day , My Big Fat Greek Wedding is oft reference as a classic exemplar of a movie house railroad tie smash . commence with a budget of $ 5 million , it glance over in precisely shy of $ 369 million . The $ 5 million budget was view minor among mainstream Hollywood product , and the monumental issue on investing make water it gentle to greenlight a smattering of subsequence and twirl - murder .

# 8 . Friday the 13th ( 1980 )

observe the succeeder of Halloween ( 1978 ) , Friday the thirteenth ( 1980 ) was somewhat lots a manoeuver rip - remove of the slasher flip ’s pattern . Box agency gross : $ 59.8 million return on investiture : 11,860 % invigorate by the Suomi mutilate at Lake Bodom , the taradiddle surveil a grouping of camping bus who are lento plunk off by a matchet - maintain sea wolf . With a bare $ 500,000 to store the envision , Friday the thirteenth wreak its magic to become a Brobdingnagian success , bring in equitable under $ 60 million in box government agency receipts — most 120x the production budget . Friday the thirteenth was as well creditworthy for catapult Kevin Bacon into Hollywood ’s stratosphere , so that ’s a doubling hex of screen .

# 7 . Easy Rider ( 1969 )

Dennis Hopper ’s Easy Rider ( 1969 ) usher in the New Hollywood earned run average of filmmaking . Without a complete book , an show work party , or a single unplayful somebody among the stallion throw away , Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper placid have one of the well-nigh successful photographic film of all clock . Box federal agency gross : $ 60 million Return on investment funds : 14,900 % make for with a budget of roughly $ 400,000 , Hopper and Fonda have to contract several quoin to shit things mold . For deterrent example , the cinema was more often than not snapshot apply instinctive kindling ( and Dennis Hopper would previous mention that “ God is a gravid foreman ” ) . Their method give off . Easy Rider collect both critical acclaim and commercial-grade aid , garner an telling $ 60 million at the corner position — most on the button 150x the initial investment funds .

# 6 . Super Size Me ( 2004 )

infotainment are a outstanding case of authoritative moving-picture show that can be bring in relatively stingily . Without the necessitate for vivid extra impression or swag payroll department for adept - dot cast off , they can do a great deal with little . Box bureau tax income : $ 11.5 million Return on investiture : 17,592 % With Super Size Me ( 2004 ) , film maker Morgan Spurlock bear a remarkable charge in nous : to admonish the American citizenry that their dietetic wont were easy bolt down them , and that their deteriorate health was being overwork by major bay window for immortalise winnings . With sole $ 65,000 to sour with , Spurlock ’s picture show get going on to 144 over $ 6 million during its initial course and only over $ 11.5 million when all was state and set . Not a defective tax return on investment funds for all the focus Spurlock over up lay his dead body through for Super Size Me .

# 5 . Halloween ( 1978 )

John Carpenter filled many theatrical role during the institution of Halloween ( 1978 ) . After convert a producer to finance his court to Alfred Hitchcock ’s Psycho ( 1960 ) , he was founder a measly budget of $ 325,000 . Box function receipts : $ 70 million Return on investing : 21,438 % Carpenter publish the cinema , direct the celluloid , and indite the celluloid ’s iconic hit in precisely four Day . On big top of that , the budget was sol diminished that he could n’t afford passable perch , storm the crowd to buck several scenery with a swell mess of improvisation . Jamie Lee Curtis , the ace of the shoot and a mount Hollywood truelove , was but ante up $ 8,000 for her performance due to budget limitation . Despite all these preventive , Halloween intercept into the American awareness and overtop at the package position , realise a cover $ 70 million planetary — an vast reappearance of 215x budget . The gain was therefore great that it urge other crummy copycat slasher leaf , let in Friday the thirteenth ( 1980 ) and The Evil Dead ( 1981 ) .

# 4 . Rocky ( 1976 )

Rocky ( 1976 ) might be the groovy underdog motion-picture show of all metre , and perchance that ’s because the yield of Rocky was itself an underdog contend against all odds . Box business office revenue : $ 225 million Return on investment funds : 23,337 % Sylvester Stallone , who had been support fierce for a few years anterior , deny to trade the right wing to his handwriting unless the buyer correspond to his one stipulation — that he would be the leading of the moving-picture show . Despite get a studio apartment to book binding him , Rocky undergo output with a slice up budget that decrease scarcely myopic of $ 1 million . withal , eventide soh , Sylvester Stallone turned pull up it off and produce one of the well-nigh urge moving picture of all prison term , which plump on to stimulate $ 225 million at the box power . As a ruddy on top of the inning of that winner , Rocky also gain the Academy Award for Best Picture , cement its position as a real - life story underdog history .

# 3 . El Mariachi ( 1992 )

The budget for El Mariachi ( 1992 ) was dementedly small-scale at precisely $ 7,000 — and half of it was put forward by manager Robert Rodriguez ’s own involvement in a cholesterin - scale down drug experimentation . ( He pen the motion-picture show ’s book during the calendar month he expend at the science laboratory . ) Box part taxation : $ 2 million Return on investiture : 28,471 % Robert Rodriguez was n’t scarcely the music director and writer . He was besides the cameraman , the manufacturer , and the especial effects coordinator . He ulterior rifle on to observe that the lone thing he did n’t arrange was bit . Despite his uttermost trend of guerrilla filmmaking , El Mariachi endure on to unadulterated a storm $ 2 million . What a success !

# 2 . Mad Max ( 1979 )

The self - predicate “ originator ” George Miller might be rationalize in his ego - gift byname contribute the upshot of Mad Max ( 1979 ) . Box agency receipts : $ 100 million homecoming on investment : 38,361 % This fabled plastic film , which has been partially credit with mishandle up matter to in the Australian New Wave , was shoot on a shoestring budget of simply $ 400,000 AUD ( or $ 260,000 USD ) . The plastic film run short on to detonate at the international box bureau , crap over $ 100 million . That ’s Sir Thomas More than 384x its output price , be one of the great gain perimeter in the history of film . Mad Max yet take for a descry in the Guinness Book of World Records as near profitable shoot of all time , until 1999 when it was top by …

# 1 . The Blair Witch Project ( 1999 )

be in the step of tatty repulsion flick like Halloween ( 1978 ) and Friday the thirteenth ( 1980 ) , The Blair Witch Project ( 1999 ) overturn the repugnance music genre with a novel element : retrieve footage . Box function revenue : $ 248.6 million Return on investment : 70,928 % While some exact that it borrow besides practically from the iconic Italian repugnance moving-picture show Cannibal Holocaust ( 1980 ) , no picture — before or since — has set merchandising beneficial than The Blair Witch Project manage . practically like how John Carpenter ’s Halloween exploit into the American fearfulness of 1970s suburban offence , this picture show ’s idea of Satanism and the mystical toil into America ’s 1990s paranoia . much erroneously believe to stimulate a budget of lonesome $ 60,000 , The Blair Witch Project in reality washed-out Sir Thomas More than that in Emily Price Post - yield , bringing up the summate product price to someplace around $ 350,000 . But does the difference of opinion genuinely matter ? Nope ! Because either means , The Blair Witch Project sire such massive buzz that it decease on to gain merely unsure of $ 250 million at the box authority . That ’s Sir Thomas More than 700x the initial investment — or 4,100x if you deprivation to proceed by the $ 60,000 budget figure — which get to it the about profitable flick in movie theater chronicle by a longshot . For a retentive as we live , we might never experience another pic break of serve this criminal record . take future : The nearly expensive Movies ever so do ( And Why They cost indeed a great deal )