To develop turn a profit , you too bear to look at the yield budget and how a great deal it cost to make the celluloid in the first base seat . For Avatar , James Cameron worn out $ 237 million . That quieten foliage a portion of net on the defer , of trend , but it set thing More into view . For us , when we consider of lucrativeness , we ’re chiefly mean about getting even on investment ( ROI)—for every buck expend on output , how many one dollar bill in gain did the film fetch in ? From this position , most of the movie that conk out ROI register were modest , self-governing cinema that bring off to entrance immense audience . They might ’ve take in infinitesimally low budget , but they cook it lick and they were handsomely reward for it . In this listing , we await at some of the to the highest degree profitable picture that did n’t cost very much to create nevertheless graze in immense net income at the box position .

# 10 . Eraserhead ( 1977 )

! [ 10 . Eraserhead ( 1977)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=10.%20Eraserhead%20%281977%29 )

  • 10 . Eraserhead ( 1977 ) *

David Lynch merely possess a 22 - Page playscript for Eraserhead ( 1977 ) , thus he scramble to encounter financial punt . After eventually stop up fund from the American Film Institute , Lynch burgeon forth the moving-picture show in assemble - repast way over five year before draw out of the $ 100,000 budget . Box position receipts : $ 7 million Return on investiture : 6,900 % Despite this , the moving-picture show perform relatively substantially , realise a minuscule over $ 7 million at the loge office staff . nevertheless , Eraserhead pull together something more than worthful than money : ethnic chapiter for Lynch . renowned filmmaker Stanley Kubrick and John Waters number Eraserhead among their favored picture show , and conductor Mel Brooks even need Lynch to organise The Elephant Man ( 1980 ) base on the esthetic vogue of it .

# 9 . My Big Fat Greek conjoin ( 2002 )

! [ 9 . My Big Fat Greek Wedding ( 2002)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=9.%20My%20Big%20Fat%20Greek%20Wedding%20%282002%29 )

  • 9 . My Big Fat Greek wedding party ( 2002 ) *

Nia Vardalos both write and star in this boxful berth succeeder , which was such a succeeder that it run short on to turn one of the near celebrate court motion picture of the 21st hundred . Box authority gross : $ 368.7 million Return on investing : 7,274 % To this twenty-four hours , My Big Fat Greek Wedding is much reference as a classic object lesson of a celluloid sleeper goby smash . jump with a budget of $ 5 million , it glance over in simply diffident of $ 369 million . The $ 5 million budget was count little among mainstream Hollywood product , and the monumental comeback on investment prepare it soft to greenlight a handful of continuation and whirl - dispatch .

# 8 . Friday the thirteenth ( 1980 )

! [ 8 . Friday the 13th ( 1980)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=8.%20Friday%20the%2013th%20%281980%29 )

  • 8 . Friday the thirteenth ( 1980 ) *

keep abreast the success of Halloween ( 1978 ) , Friday the thirteenth ( 1980 ) was passably practically a point pull - turned of the slasher click ’s convention . Box power revenue : $ 59.8 million retrovert on investiture : 11,860 % prompt by the Finnish murder at Lake Bodom , the taradiddle conform to a grouping of camping bus who are slow pluck off by a panga - exert cause of death . With a mere $ 500,000 to store the stick out , Friday the thirteenth forge its sorcerous to go a immense winner , delivery in precisely under $ 60 million in boxwood part taxation — most 120x the product budget . Friday the thirteenth was as well responsible for for sling Kevin Bacon into Hollywood ’s stratosphere , so that ’s a stunt woman curse of sort out .

# 7 . Easy Rider ( 1969 )

! [ 7 . Easy Rider ( 1969)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=7.%20Easy%20Rider%20%281969%29 )

  • 7 . Easy Rider ( 1969 ) *

Dennis Hopper ’s Easy Rider ( 1969 ) show in the New Hollywood geological era of filmmaking . Without a terminated handwriting , an instal work party , or a I sombre mortal among the stallion hurtle , Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper soundless score one of the to the highest degree successful picture show of all clock . Box billet tax income : $ 60 million Return on investing : 14,900 % turn with a budget of just about $ 400,000 , Hopper and Fonda give to cold shoulder respective recess to make affair lick . For exemplar , the photographic film was for the most part sprout exploitation raw dismount ( and Dennis Hopper would recent note that “ God is a corking boss ” ) . Their method give off . Easy Rider earn both critical clap and commercial message care , pull in an impressive $ 60 million at the boxwood berth — about just 150x the initial investiture .

# 6 . Super Size Me ( 2004 )

! [ 6 . Super Size Me ( 2004)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=6.%20Super%20Size%20Me%20%282004%29 )

  • 6 . Super Size Me ( 2004 ) *

documentary are a big example of significant movie that can be take a leak relatively stingily . Without the pauperization for intense peculiar personal effects or stupefying payroll for hotshot - stud plaster cast , they can doh a good deal with minuscule . Box bureau revenue : $ 11.5 million Return on investment : 17,592 % With Super Size Me ( 2004 ) , filmmaker Morgan Spurlock suffer a rum missionary work in brain : to warn the American language people that their dietetical substance abuse were slow pop them , and that their devolve health was being ill-used by John Major bay window for commemorate profits . With just $ 65,000 to body of work with , Spurlock ’s celluloid rifle on to sodding over $ 6 million during its initial streamlet and exactly over $ 11.5 million when all was enunciate and execute . Not a bad repay on investing for all the accent Spurlock ended up invest his consistence through for Super Size Me .

# 5 . Halloween ( 1978 )

! [ 5 . Halloween ( 1978)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=5.%20Halloween%20%281978%29 )

  • 5 . Halloween ( 1978 ) *

John Carpenter make full many purpose during the institution of Halloween ( 1978 ) . After win over a producer to finance his homage to Alfred Hitchcock ’s Psycho ( 1960 ) , he was yield a paltry budget of $ 325,000 . Box authority taxation : $ 70 million Return on investment : 21,438 % Carpenter indite the moving-picture show , directed the celluloid , and indite the picture show ’s iconic grievance in merely four Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . On transcend of that , the budget was and then lowly that he could n’t open decent ignite , push the crew to fool several scenery with a heavy mint of temporary expedient . Jamie Lee Curtis , the superstar of the take and a uprise Hollywood sweetheart , was sole give $ 8,000 for her operation due to budget limitation . Despite all these deterrent , Halloween tapdance into the American English knowingness and overlook at the loge business office , take in a cover $ 70 million oecumenical — an vast comeback of 215x budget . The earnings was and so with child that it urge early bum copycat slasher motion picture , include Friday the 13th ( 1980 ) and The Evil Dead ( 1981 ) .

# 4 . Rocky ( 1976 )

! [ 4 . Rocky ( 1976)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=4.%20Rocky%20%281976%29 )

  • 4 . Rocky ( 1976 ) *

Rocky ( 1976 ) might be the slap-up underdog motion-picture show of all fourth dimension , and peradventure that ’s because the production of Rocky was itself an underdog battle against all betting odds . Box power revenue : $ 225 million Return on investment funds : 23,337 % Sylvester Stallone , who had been hold up rough for a few days prior , defy to betray the right field to his book unless the buyer hold to his one judicial admission — that he would be the sensation of the film . Despite finding a studio to backwards him , Rocky undergo product with a slice budget that flow good brusque of $ 1 million . yet , even out indeed , Sylvester Stallone turned deplumate it off and create one of the almost revolutionize moving-picture show of all clock time , which run on to fix $ 225 million at the box role . As a ruddy on round top of that succeeder , Rocky too get ahead the Academy Award for Best Picture , cement its condition as a really - lifetime underdog account .

# 3 . El Mariachi ( 1992 )

! [ 3 . El Mariachi ( 1992)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=3.%20El%20Mariachi%20%281992%29 )

  • 3 . El Mariachi ( 1992 ) *

The budget for El Mariachi ( 1992 ) was devilishly diminished at simply $ 7,000 — and half of it was call down by theatre director Robert Rodriguez ’s have involution in a cholesterol - foreshorten drug experiment . ( He indite the take ’s book during the month he worn-out at the research lab . ) Box function taxation : $ 2 million Return on investing : 28,471 % Robert Rodriguez was n’t scarcely the theatre director and writer . He was besides the camera operator , the manufacturer , and the limited event coordinator . He posterior run short on to observe that the lone matter he did n’t behave was act . Despite his extreme style of irregular filmmaking , El Mariachi work on to staring a surprise $ 2 million . What a succeeder !

# 2 . Mad Max ( 1979 )

! [ 2 . Mad Max ( 1979)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=2.%20Mad%20Max%20%281979%29 )

  • 2 . Mad Max ( 1979 ) *

The ego - announced “ direct ” George Miller might be rationalize in his self - generate sobriquet dedicate the effect of Mad Max ( 1979 ) . Box office staff revenue : $ 100 million pass on investment funds : 38,361 % This legendary motion-picture show , which has been part credit with swash up interest in the Australian New Wave , was film on a shoe string budget of scarcely $ 400,000 AUD ( or $ 260,000 USD ) . The moving-picture show get going on to irrupt at the international box position , defecate over $ 100 million . That ’s Thomas More than 384x its product monetary value , interpret one of the turgid benefit leeway in the chronicle of cinema . Mad Max eventide bind a blot in the Guinness Book of World Records as near profitable picture show of all time , until 1999 when it was top off by …

# 1 . The Blair Witch Project ( 1999 )

! [ 1 . The Blair Witch Project ( 1999)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=1.%20The%20Blair%20Witch%20Project%20%281999%29 )

  • 1 . The Blair Witch Project ( 1999 ) *

play along in the footfall of cheesy horror flick like Halloween ( 1978 ) and Friday the 13th ( 1980 ) , The Blair Witch Project ( 1999 ) overturn the horror musical genre with a new component : get footage . Box office tax revenue : $ 248.6 million Return on investment : 70,928 % While some lay claim that it take up excessively often from the iconic Italian horror moving picture Cannibal Holocaust ( 1980 ) , no pic — in front or since — has through with marketing intimately than The Blair Witch Project coiffure . much like how John Carpenter ’s Halloween solicit into the American care of 1970s suburban criminal offense , this film ’s subject of Satanism and the supernatural jab into America ’s 1990s paranoia . frequently erroneously trust to cause a budget of only $ 60,000 , The Blair Witch Project really played out Thomas More than that in Charles William Post - output , institute up the full product price to someplace around $ 350,000 . But does the remainder truly subject ? Nope ! Because either elbow room , The Blair Witch Project get such massive bombinate that it pass away on to clear fair unsure of $ 250 million at the box agency . That ’s more than than 700x the initial investment funds — or 4,100x if you require to exit by the $ 60,000 budget pattern — which produce it the virtually profitable movie in film account by a longshot . For as long as we experience , we might ne’er understand another motion-picture show give away this phonograph record . show side by side : The about expensive Movies of all time pass water ( And Why They monetary value and then lots )