When we think of the most expensive movies ever made, we might think of King Kong ($243 million);Avatar ($254 million); or Titanic ($286 million). While yes these films surpass the list that follows, animated films are indeed rising in budget costs. Take the most expensive animated move ever made, for instance. Not only is it the highest on this list, but it’s also second on the list of most expensive movies ever made. Period. Outrageous, no? Well, No. Animated films are becoming more and more costly due to studio costs (electricity, creative facilities, etc.), labor intensiveness (unlike real life films, where there’s one actor per character, animated characters require multiple workers per character), and ever-evolving creative programing (stunning computer graphics call for expensive programs). For instance, in order for animation to appear as believable and as real as possible, money is thrown into program after program until the perfect image is captured. Like the hair simulator used for Rapunzel’s hair in Tangled, which took years to master.

Not only that, but DreamWorks, Pixar Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Company continue to hire A-list actors to fill their casts. In the past, unknown voices breathed life into familiar characters. Today, however, more and more recognizable names are being called upon to lend their voices: Tom Hanks, Billy Crystal,Reese Witherspoon, Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, you name it. For voicing Toy Story, Hanks earned $50,000. Thanks to the movie’s success, Pixar shelled out $5 million to Hanks for Toy Story 2 and $15 million for Toy Story 3. Owen Wilson made $2.5 million for Pixar’s Cars 2. DreamWorks too upped its budget from $3 million to $10 million for Mike Myers to star in the movie Shrek and Shrek 2. 

The following is a list of the most expensive animated movies ever made. You might be surprised which movies made the list and where they fall. Like this first one.