El Mariachi (1992)
Budget: $7,000
Box Office: $2,040,920
Profit %: 29,056%
Which wildly successful micro budgeted movie* made for initially less than $250,000 is your favorite? * based on initial completed film budgets and uses just one type of movie income stream (box office) for comparison.
Vote in the companion poll: Low Budget Movies That Paid Off Big
Budget: $7,000
Box Office: $2,040,920
Profit %: 29,056%
Budget: $15,000 (post-acquisition budget of $450,000 after studio ordered post-production)
Box Office: $193,355,800
Profit %: 1,288,938%
Budget:$22,500
Box Office: 248,639,099
Profit %: 1,104,962%
Budget: $27,000 (post-acquisition budget of $230,000 after studio ordered post-production)
Box Office: $3,151,130
Profit %: 11,571%
Budget: <$30,000
Box Office: $536,364 * US box office only
Profit %: 1,688%
* spawned similarly budgeted Apu trilogy mates: Aparajito and World of Apu
Budget: $10,000
Box Office: $7,000,000
Profit %: 69,900%
Budget: $114,000
Box Office: $42,000,000
Profit %: 36,742%
Budget: $22,500
Box Office: $100-600 million estimate
Profit %: 444,344% - 2,666,567% estimate
Budget: $4,000 (post-acquisition budget of $8,000 after studio ordered conversion from 16mm)
Box Office: $48,482 *US Box Office only
Profit %: 1,112%
* launched Christopher Nolan's career, box office $1.8 billion
Budget: $65,000
Box Office: $20,641,054
Profit %: 31,655%
Budget: $160,000
Box Office: $7,706,386
Profit %: 4816
Budget: $200,000
Box Office: $4,550,020
Profit %: 2,175%
* launched multiple careers
Budget: $23,800*
Box Office: $10,426,506* US box office only
Profit %: 43,709%
Budget: $12,000
Box Office: $7,000,000
Profit %: 58,233%
Budget: $25,000
Box Office: $4,882,577
Profit %: 19,430%
Budget: $10,000
Box Office: *Top movie in Russia 1997, same year video release generated lion share of profit
Budget: $130,000 (post-acquisition budget of $500,000 after studio ordered post-production)
Box Office: $54,667,954
Profit %: 10,834%
Budget: $150,000
Box Office: $20,710,513
Profit %: 13,707
Budget: $50,000
Box Office: $20,000,000
Profit %: 39,100%
Budget: $87,000
Box Office: $3,100,000
Profit %: 3163%
* launched Wes Craven's career
Budget: $230,000
Box Office: $2,260,712
Profit %: 883%
* Tom Hardy and Nicolas Winding Refn breakthroughs
Budget: $30,000
Box Office: $3,479,614
Profit %: 11,499%
Budget: $100,000
Box Office: $1,776,935
Profit %: 1,677%
Budget: $100,000
Box Office: $42,964,410
Profit %: 42,864%
Budget: $20,000 (post-acquisition budget of $750,000 after studio ordered post-production)
Box Office: $10,326,428 * Australia box office only
Profit %: 51,532%
Budget: $23,000
Box Office: $1,228,108
Profit %: 5,240%
Budget: $60,000
Box Office: $3,221,152
Profit %: 5,269%
Budget: $7,000
Box office: $545,436
Profit %: 7,692%
Budget: $24,500
Box Office: $4,000,000
Profit %: 16,227%
Budget: $200,000
Box Office: $20,447,000 US Box Office only
Profit %: 10,124%
Budget: $125,000
Box Office: $10,000,000
Profit %: 7,900%
Budget: $100,000
Box Office: $12,000,000
Profit %: 11,900%
*added 24 November 2019
Budget: $100,000
Box Office: $10,200,000
Profit %: 10,100%
*added 25 January 2022
Writers-Director-Editor: Shin'ichirō Ueda
Budget: ¥3 million ($25,000) Box Office: ¥3.12 billion (Japan) and $31.2 million (worldwide)
Profit %: 127,900%
*added 01 February 2023
Writers-Director-Producer-Cinematographer-Film Editor-Actor: Jonathan Caouette
Budget: $218.32
Box Office: $1,200,000
Profit %: 21,832,549,551%
*added 01 February 2023