The Most Expensive Westerns Ever Made

Published: April 25, 2024 by Colman Andrews

Western movies are just about as old as movies themselves. Thomas Edison’s studio in West Orange, NJ, produced the first depictions of the Old West ever committed to celluloid — a series of silent shorts shot in 1894, recording the exploits of the famous sharpshooter Annie Oakley and performances of the Ghost Dance and Buffalo Dance by real Sioux Indians.

Nine years later, a 12-minute fictional Western, “The Great Train Robbery,” was shot in New Jersey and New York. In addition to scenes of the crime itself, it includes what must be the first-ever cinematic portrayal of that Western cliché, a “tenderfoot” (Easterner) being forced to “dance” while cowboys shoot at his feet.

There were other Westerns shot during the Silent Era, but the genre lost popularity initially with the introduction of sound to movies. That began to change in the late 1930s and early ‘40s, at least in part thanks to directors like John Ford (and his emblematic star, John Wayne), Fred Zinnemann, William Wyler, and George Stevens — one of whose films was “Annie Oakley” (starring Barbara Stanwyck in the title role).

Westerns remained popular until at least the latter 1950s, then began to fade. An Italian, Sergio Leone, was responsible for a revival in the 1960s, making a star of Clint Eastwood in the process. Subsequent examples tended to modernize Westerns, presenting anti-heroes instead of white-hat good guys, and at least sometimes offering sympathetic or at least marginally accurate portrayals of Native Americans. (These are the 40 absolute best modern Westerns.)

Although Westerns, especially in their early days, were often classified as B movies, they have featured many famous actors over the decades — Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Kevin Costner, Jake Gyllenhaal, Charlize Theron, Penélope Cruz, Denzel Washington, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, even Jackie Chan are among those who’ve had roles in such films — and many of them were surprisingly expensive to produce.

To determine the most expensive Westerns ever made, 24/7 Tempo reviewed historical data on production costs from film industry site The Numbers. Westerns were ranked based on total reported production budget, adjusted for inflation. Data on worldwide box office is also from The Numbers. Production budget and box office figures were adjusted for inflation using historical ticket data from the National Association of Theatre Owners. Supplemental data on IMDb user rating is current as of April 2024.

The three most expensive Westerns of all boasted considerable star power — Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer in an updated look at “The Lone Ranger,” Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford in “Cowboys & Aliens,” and Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in “Australia” — the last of these set not in the Old West but in the cattle country of Australia’s northern region, and very much a Western in spirit.

Scroll down to see the most expensive Westerns ever made:

50. The Longest Ride (2015)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Production budget: $36.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $69.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (79,607 reviews)
Starring: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Alan Alda

49. News of the World (2020)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Production budget: $38.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $12.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (74,696 reviews)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, Tom Astor

48. The Sisters Brothers (2018)

Source: Courtesy of Annapurna Distribution

Production budget: $38.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $14.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (59,919 reviews)
Starring: John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal

47. The Wild Bunch (1969)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts

Production budget: $38.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $3.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (81,636 reviews)
Starring: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan

46. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Production budget: $38.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $660.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (217,852 reviews)
Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross

45. Open Range (2003)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

Production budget: $39.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $104.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (69,729 reviews)
Starring: Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Diego Luna

44. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Production budget: $39.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $20.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (183,972 reviews)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard

43. True Grit (2010)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Production budget: $40.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $292.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (323,355 reviews)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld

42. Dances with Wolves (1990)

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

Production budget: $41.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $920.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (250,448 reviews)
Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene

41. Quigley Down Under (1990)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production budget: $43.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $46.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (21,294 reviews)
Starring: Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo, Alan Rickman

40. A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Production budget: $44.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $97.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (183,086 reviews)
Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson

39. The Warrior’s Way (2010)

Source: Courtesy of Relativity Media

Production budget: $48.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $9.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (26,871 reviews)
Starring: Jang Dong-Gun, Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush

38. Bandidas (2006)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Production budget: $48.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $27.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (34,899 reviews)
Starring: Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek, Steve Zahn

37. Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production budget: $50.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $15.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (19,523 reviews)
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Don Johnson, Chelsea Field

36. Hostiles (2017)

Source: Courtesy of Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures

Production budget: $51.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $37.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (77,767 reviews)
Starring: Scott Shepherd, Rosamund Pike, Ava Cooper

35. Free State of Jones (2016)

Source: Courtesy of STX Entertainment

Production budget: $52.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $24.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (58,912 reviews)
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali

34. Jonah Hex (2010)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Production budget: $54.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $12.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 4.7/10 (57,151 reviews)
Starring: Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, John Malkovich

33. Tombstone (1993)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

Production budget: $55.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $125.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (151,870 reviews)
Starring: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott

32. American Outlaws (2001)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Production budget: $56.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $22.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (15,951 reviews)
Starring: Colin Farrell, Scott Caan, Ali Larter

31. The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Production budget: $59.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $44.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 5.1/10 (1,925 reviews)
Starring: Klinton Spilsbury, Michael Horse, Christopher Lloyd

30. Texas Rangers (2001)

Source: Courtesy of Dimension Films

Production budget: $61.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $1.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 5.2/10 (5,664 reviews)
Starring: James Van Der Beek, Rachael Leigh Cook, Ashton Kutcher

29. Ride with the Devil (1999)

Source: Courtesy of MCA/Universal Pictures

Production budget: $63.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $1.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (13,493 reviews)
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jewel Kilcher

28. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films

Production budget: $63.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $94.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (297,987 reviews)
Starring: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster

27. The Ridiculous 6 (2015)

Source: Courtesy of Netflix

Production budget: $65.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: N/A
IMDb user rating: 4.8/10 (46,684 reviews)
Starring: Adam Sandler, Terry Crews, Jorge Garcia

26. Silverado (1985)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Production budget: $67.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $85.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (41,108 reviews)
Starring: Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner

25. Legends of the Fall (1994)

Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

Production budget: $67.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $360.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (156,441 reviews)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn

24. The Hateful Eight (2015)

Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

Production budget: $67.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $165.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (550,683 reviews)
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh

23. The Quick and the Dead (1995)

Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

Production budget: $67.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $39.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (89,502 reviews)
Starring: Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe

22. Shanghai Knights (2003)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Production budget: $76.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $134.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (103,141 reviews)
Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Fann Wong

21. Red River (1948)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Production budget: $76.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $229.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (29,715 reviews)
Starring: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Joanne Dru

20. All the Pretty Horses (2000)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia TriStar Entertainment

Production budget: $76.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $30.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (14,686 reviews)
Starring: Matt Damon, Penélope Cruz, Henry Thomas

19. Shanghai Noon (2000)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Production budget: $93.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $121.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (123,136 reviews)
Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu

18. The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Production budget: $95.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $171.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (199,147 reviews)
Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke

17. The Missing (2003)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Production budget: $98.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $58.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (37,433 reviews)
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Evan Rachel Wood

16. Chaos Walking (2021)

Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films

Production budget: $100.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $19.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (32,320 reviews)
Starring: Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Demián Bichir

15. The Legend of Zorro (2005)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Production budget: $114.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $202.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (97,163 reviews)
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rufus Sewell

14. Hidalgo (2004)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Production budget: $115.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $159.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (83,133 reviews)
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif, Zuleikha Robinson

13. Django Unchained (2012)

Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

Production budget: $115.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $517.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (1,427,183 reviews)
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio

12. The Horse Whisperer (1998)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Production budget: $117.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $365.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (40,226 reviews)
Starring: Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill

11. The Alamo (1960)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Production budget: $132.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $87.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (15,249 reviews)
Starring: John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Laurence Harvey

10. The Alamo (2004)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Production budget: $135.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $35.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (21,368 reviews)
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Emilio Echevarría

9. Wyatt Earp (1994)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Production budget: $141.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $56.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (52,180 reviews)
Starring: Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman

8. The Revenant (2015)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Production budget: $146.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $579.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (809,924 reviews)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter

7. Heaven’s Gate (1980)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Production budget: $149.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $11.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (15,600 reviews)
Starring: Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, John Hurt

6. Rango (2011)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Production budget: $155.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $283.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (248,597 reviews)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant

5. Around the World in 80 Days (2004)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Production budget: $162.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $106.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (87,566 reviews)
Starring: Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, Jim Broadbent

4. Home on the Range (2004)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Production budget: $162.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $112.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 5.4/10 (21,844 reviews)
Starring: Judi Dench, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jennifer Tilly

3. Australia (2008)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Production budget: $165.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $274.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (121,769 reviews)
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Shea Adams

2. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Production budget: $188.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $203.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (213,740 reviews)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde

1. The Lone Ranger (2013)

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Production budget: $253.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
Worldwide box office: $292.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (227,289 reviews)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner