Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Director: Rob Marshall
Cost of production: $397 million USD
Despite the very agreeable box office returns, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was no cheap date. 2007 and 2006’s Gore Verbinski-directed Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End cost $263 million and $341 million, respectively, with On Stranger Tides landing a slot as the most expensive long shot – with Jack Sparrow and Barbossa’s quest to find the elusive fountain of youth costing nearly $400 million.
Regardless of the huge production costs (Depp’s payment was an estimated $55,000,000…Well, hey, someone has to pay for that accessorising) the box office-busting Pirates of the Caribbean flicks have been the most extraordinary cash cow, and since the first time we saw Johnny Depp parading around with beaded dreads and guy-liner in 2003, the Disney execs behind the franchise have been simultaneously wading around in gold up to their armpits.
What else could you buy for that amount: 24,812,500 kohl eye pencils at $16 USD a pop.
