5 Movies Whose Budgets Completely Spiraled Out Of Control

Cleopatra started at $5 million and nearly bankrupted a studio

Cleopatra's budget began around $5 million, with roughly $1 million of that going to Elizabeth Taylor's salary alone. Elaborate costumes and sets had to be rebuilt after production relocated from London to Rome, and costs ballooned so severely the film nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox.

Apocalypse Now ran 157% over budget — and Coppola had hot dogs flown in from the US

By the time filming wrapped, Francis Ford Coppola had spent $31.5 million on Apocalypse Now — 157% over the original budget. Production was plagued by a typhoon that destroyed sets, Martin Sheen suffering a heart attack, and reports of Coppola having pasta flown in from Italy and an entire planeload of hot dogs flown in for his birthday.

Waterworld's ocean sets pushed its budget toward $175 million

Waterworld's budget reportedly swelled from around $100 million to nearly $175 million, driven largely by the logistics of filming on massive ocean-based sets, including a man-made atoll that was damaged by weather during production. At the time, it was considered the most expensive film ever made.

World War Z went 52% over budget after a completely rewritten third act

World War Z cost roughly $190 million against a planned $125 million budget — a 52% overrun — after the production scrapped and reshot its entire third act following poor test screenings.

Hugo ran 56% over budget — and didn't make it back at the box office

Martin Scorsese's Hugo finished around 56% over its initial budget, and unlike some other famous overruns on this list, disappointing ticket sales meant the film struggled to recoup the extra cost.