The growth of streaming platforms over the past few years has been truly phenomenal. While Netflixย was the first major innovator in the streaming space, there has been anย acceleration in recent years with new platforms launching to rival Netflix. Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Apple TV+ are the major examples of new premium quality streaming services that have challenged Netflix for streaming dominance in the so-called “streaming wars.”
As these streaming wars have intensified in recent years, audiences are seeing these major streaming platforms pumpย larger andย largerย amounts of money into original content in an effort to stand out in an oversaturated landscape. While streaming platforms, like Netflix, are notoriously tight-lipped over the budgets of their originals, there are multiple reports of colossal budgets for new exclusive content for these streaming platforms. While it can be difficult to accurately obtain information regarding the true budgets of many of these films, here are ten of the most expensive movies (some of which have yet to be released) to debut exclusively on streaming platforms, according to their reported budgets.
The Irishman (2019)
Estimated Budget $159m-$225m
Martin Scorsese's epic crime drama debuted on Netflix in 2019 to much hype. Scorsese had been trying to get the film made for a number of years but couldn't secure the necessary budget to bring his sweeping vision to life. Many major movie studios, such as Paramount, passed on the project until Netflix agreed to jump in and finance the endeavour.
While the budget of many Netflix productions is extremely difficult to ascertain, according to reports from the LA Timesย and Gamespot, the budget for The Irishman was anywhere between $159 million on the lower end and $225 million on the higher end….