The following are lists of animated feature films that were the most expensive to make.
For purposes of awarding Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines an animated film as
a motion picture in which movement and characters' performances are created using a frame-by-frame technique, and usually falls into one of the two general fields of animation: narrative or abstract. Some of the techniques of animating films include but are not limited to hand-drawn animation, computer animation, stop-motion, clay animation, pixilation, cutout animation, pinscreen, camera multiple pass imagery, kaleidoscopic effects created frame-by-frame, and drawing on the film frame itself. Motion capture and real-time puppetry are not by themselves animation techniques. [1]
Further, at least 75 percent of the film's running time must contain animation. Narrative animated films must also include a significant number of animated major characters. [1]
The Academy defines a feature film as one with a running time of more than 40 minutes. [1]
The years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2016 are the most represented, with three films each.
Pixar is the most represented studio with fourteen films. Shrek is the most represented franchise with three of its four main films on the list, followed by Cars with two of its three main films.
Disney is the most represented studio with 14 films on the list. Winnie the Pooh is the most represented franchise with four films on the list. 2002 is the most represented year with four films.
The following films are all stop motion animated films that cost over $10 million to create. 2012 are the most represented years with 3 films each.
Laika is the most represented studio with 5 films. Wallace and Gromit is the most represented franchise with two films on the list.
| Title | Year | Studio | Budget (est.) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missing Link | 2019 | Laika | $100,000,000 | [124] |
| The Little Prince | 2015 | ON Animation Studios | $77,500,000 | [125] |
| Coraline | 2009 | Laika | $60,000,000 | [126] |
| ParaNorman | 2012 | [127] | ||
| The Boxtrolls | 2014 | [128] | ||
| Kubo and the Two Strings | 2016 | [129] | ||
| The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! | 2012 | Sony Pictures Animation/Aardman | $55,000,000 | [130] |
| Chicken Run | 2000 | DreamWorks Animation/Aardman | $45,000,000 | [131] |
| Corpse Bride | 2005 | Tim Burton | $40,000,000 | [132] |
| Fantastic Mr. Fox | 2009 | AEP | [133] | |
| Frankenweenie | 2012 | Tim Burton | $39,000,000 | [134] |
| James and the Giant Peach | 1996 | Tim Burton | $38,000,000 | [135] |
| Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | 2005 | DreamWorks Animation/Aardman | $30,000,000 | [136] |
| Shaun the Sheep Movie | 2015 | Aardman/Liongate | $25,000,000 | [137] |
| The Nightmare Before Christmas | 1993 | Tim Burton | $18,000,000 | [138] |
| Title(s) | Year(s) | Studio | Budget (est. ¥ ) | Budget (est. $ ) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fist of the North Star: The Legends of the True Savior | 2006–2008 | TMS Entertainment | ¥2,500,000,000 | $24,300,000 | [174] [170] |
| My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies | 1988 | Studio Ghibli | ¥1,200,000,000 | $9,400,000 | [80] [155] |
| | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2020) |
This section possibly contains original synthesis. Source material should verifiably mention and relate to the main topic.(February 2020) |
The following is a timeline of the most expensive animated films since 1937.
| Title | Established | Budget (est.) (millions) | Studio | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | 1937 | $1.49 | Disney | [175] |
| Pinocchio | 1940 | $2.29 | [176] | |
| Cinderella | 1950 | $2.9 | [177] | |
| Peter Pan | 1953 | $4 | [178] | |
| Sleeping Beauty | 1959 | $6 | [179] | |
| The Black Cauldron | 1985 | $44 | [180] | |
| The Lion King | 1994 | $45 | [86] | |
| Pocahontas | 1995 | $55 | [181] | |
| The Hunchback of Notre Dame | 1996 | $100 | [182] | |
| A Bug's Life | 1998 | $120 | Pixar | [183] |
| Tarzan | 1999 | $130 | Disney | [184] |
| Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | 2001 | $137 | Square Pictures | [185] |
| Treasure Planet | 2002 | $140 | Disney | [61] |
| Shrek 2 | 2004 | $150 | DreamWorks Animation | [186] |
| The Polar Express | 2004 | $165 | ImageMovers | [187] |
| WALL-E | 2008 | $180 | Pixar | [20] [21] |
| Toy Story 3 | June 2010 | $200 | [7] [8] | |
| Tangled | November 2010 | $260 | Disney | [2] [3] [4] [5] |
| Title | Established | Budget (est.) (millions) | Studio | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toy Story | 1995 | $30 | Pixar | [188] |
| Antz | October 1998 | $42 | DreamWorks Animation | [189] |
| A Bug's Life | November 1998 | $120 | Pixar | [183] |
| Dinosaur | 2000 | $127.5 | Disney | [190] |
| Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | 2001 | $137 | Square Pictures | [184] |
| The Polar Express | 2004 | $165 | ImageMovers | [35] |
| WALL•E | 2008 | $180 | Pixar | [20] [21] |
| Toy Story 3 | June 2010 | $200 | [7] [8] | |
| Tangled | November 2010 | $260 | Disney | [2] [3] [4] [5] |
| | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2020) |
This section possibly contains original synthesis. Source material should verifiably mention and relate to the main topic.(February 2020) |
| Title | Established | Budget (est.) (millions) | Studio | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | 1937 | $1.49 | Disney | [175] |
| Pinocchio | 1940 | $2.29 | [176] | |
| Cinderella | 1950 | $2.9 | [177] | |
| Peter Pan | 1953 | $4 | [178] | |
| Sleeping Beauty | 1959 | $6 | [179] | |
| The Black Cauldron | 1985 | $44 | [180] | |
| The Lion King | 1994 | $45 | [86] | |
| Pocahontas | 1995 | $55 | [181] | |
| The Hunchback of Notre Dame | 1996 | $100 | [182] | |
| Tarzan | 1999 | $130 | [184] | |
| Treasure Planet | 2002 | $140 | [61] |
The following is a timeline of most expensive stop-motion animated films of all time. Laika is the most represented studio with four films.
| Title | Established | Budget (est.) (millions) | Studio | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Nightmare Before Christmas | 1993 | $18 | Tim Burton | [138] |
| Chicken Run | 2000 | $45 | Aardman | [131] |
| Coraline | 2009 | $60 | Laika | [126] |
| ParaNorman | 2012 | $60 | [127] | |
| The Boxtrolls | 2014 | [128] | ||
| The Little Prince | 2015 | $77.5 | ON | [125] |
| Missing Link | 2019 | $100 | Laika | [124] |
[...]cost Disney $105 million to produce[...]