10 low-budget films that grossed big box office (12 photos)

A selection of low-budget films that managed to break the box office and become hits.





It often happens that tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on the creation of a particular film, but in the end they do not pay off at the box office and the film fails. But it also happens the other way around, when it takes only a few tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to make a film, but the film collects millions, or even tens of millions of dollars at the box office, making the film a hit.

1. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)



"Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" is a British crime comedy by Guy Ritchie that became a real hit. It was this picture (as well as Snatch) that made director Guy Ritchie and the unknown actor (former athlete) Jason Statham famous. By the way, this was, in principle, the first film in which Statham actually played.

The film tells the story of four friends who decided to make some money playing poker, but ended up getting into big debts. And now they need to return £500,000 within one week to crime boss Harry "The Hatchet". But in an attempt to repay the debt, they get into even more trouble.

The film's production costs were only $1.35 million, while box office receipts topped $25 million, which came as a surprise to the aspiring director and everyone else. No one would have thought that a British film with a relatively small budget could earn such a sum.

2. Saw (2003)



The film "Saw", directed by the young director James Wan, gained wide popularity due to its unusual plot, production and atmosphere.

The plot of the film revolves around two strangers who wake up in a strange room with a corpse in the center, holding a voice recorder and a gun. They would be happy to escape, but the problem is that they are chained with chains from which they cannot free themselves. But who is behind all this? We will only know the answer at the end.



In addition to the main storyline, we are shown how a certain maniac drives his victims into deadly traps, from which one can only escape by sacrificing something very important. The only problem is that victims don't have time to think.

The film's budget was a relatively small $1.2 million. And the creators of the film almost had a heart attack when the film collected as much as $103 million at the worldwide box office. Definitely, it was a real success, so the project began to acquire sequels, which are still being filmed to this day.

3. Rocky (1976)



Well, who doesn't know the movie "Rocky"? This cult film about a poor amateur boxer who makes his way into the big sport became fateful for Sylvester Stallone. It was the film “Rocky” that made Stallone famous and opened the door to big cinema for him, making him a global star. Moreover, Stallone not only played the main role here, but wrote the script for the film. But at that time he himself was practically a beggar.

As a result, $1 million was allocated for this film. But no one could have thought that the film would become so successful that it would earn as much as $225 million at the box office.

4. Mad Max (1979)



Mad Max is an Australian dystopian action film starring then little-known actor Mel Gibson.

Naturally, Australian cinema at that time could not boast of large budgets, so only 300-400 thousand dollars were allocated for filming. And few would have thought that such a film would be able to collect a gigantic $100 million, but it still managed to do it. Therefore, filming the sequel was only a matter of time.

5. Halloween (1978)



"Halloween" is a cult horror film directed by then little-known director John Carpenter. The film tells about a maniac named Michael Myers, who killed his older sister in early childhood, after which he was placed in a psychiatric hospital. But many years later, Michael escaped from the psychiatric hospital and went to his hometown in order to continue killing.

The film's budget was only 325 thousand dollars, andBox office receipts amounted to 70 million.

6. Night of the Living Dead (1968)



“Night of the Living Dead” is the first film by cult director John Romero, who today is known as a true master of horror, because it was he who would later direct such films as “Dawn of the Dead”, “Time of the Witch”, “Kaleidoscope of Horrors”, “Day of the Dead” and others. Moreover, today the film "Night of the Living Dead" is a true classic in the zombie horror genre.

The aspiring director and screenwriter were allocated $114 thousand for the filming of this film. But the film managed to collect as much as 42 million at the global box office.

7. Paranormal Activity (2007)



The film "Paranormal Activity" tells the story of a young couple in whose house an invisible ghost appears.

There is nothing fancy in this film in terms of filming or special effects, and the actors here are unknown to anyone. Therefore, it is not surprising that the film's budget was only 15 thousand dollars. The box office receipts for this film amounted to a huge $193 million.

No one expected such success. Therefore, it is not surprising that the film acquired several sequels, a spin-off and even a parody.

8. Musician (1992)



This film became the second film in the career of the famous director and screenwriter Robert Rodriguez, as well as the first film in a trilogy about the musician, but so far without Antonio Banderas.

The budget for this film was essentially a measly 7 thousand dollars, but in theaters the film collected a rather impressive 2 million.

9. High Seas (2003)



"The High Seas" is a creepy psychological thriller that tells the story of two tourist divers who are accidentally forgotten at sea during an excursion. The young couple can only wait until they come back for them. But there is one problem. Sharks are circling right next to them.

The film's budget was a relatively small amount of $130 thousand, while box office receipts amounted to about 55 million.

10. Blair Witch: Coursework from Beyond (1999)



The film "The Blair Witch Project" was shot in the genre of mockumentary film and tells the story of three students who get lost while walking in the mountains. All that was found was a videotape with materials filmed by the students.

With a budget of 750 thousand dollars, the film managed to collect as much as 248 million.