#1

The Polar Express

Released 11/10/04

Distributor: Buena Vista

polarexpress

Production Costs:  $170 Million (USD)

U.S. Box Office:  $173 Million  (USD)

Worldwide Box Office:  $297 Million (USD)

This 2004 feature film was based on the children’s book of the same name, by Chris Van Allsburg. The actual book can be read in about 5 minutes, but the film was 90 minutes long. The film enjoyed modest box office success, but the results for the film’s 3D Imax version were incredible. Financially, the 3D version outperformed the 2D version by 14 to 1! There are now plans to release the movie in its Imax format every year during the holiday season, so expect even higher revenue for the film in the future.

#2

Final Fantasy: Spirits Within

Released 7/11/01

Distributor: Sony

finalfantasy

Production Costs:  $137 Million (USD)

U.S. Box Office:  $32 Million  (USD)

Worldwide Box Office:  $85 Million (USD)

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was the first film to attempt photo-realistic computer generated human characters. The movie was promoted agressively by its distributor, Sony Pictures.  Despite the promotion, the film went on to become the second biggest flop in animated film history (Treasure Planet is #1), nearly bankrupting its creator, Square Pictures.  Many speculate that the failure was due to the fact that the movie was nothing like the video game it was supposed to be based on, alienating many of the movie’s potential fan base.

/

#3

Dinosaur

Released 5/19/00

Distributor: Buena Vista

dinosaur

Production Costs:  $128 Million (USD)

U.S. Box Office:  $138 Million  (USD)

Worldwide Box Office:  $356 Million (USD)

1

1

1

Dinosaur used live action backgrounds combined with computer animated effects, with spectacular results.  The opening two minutes of the film are particularly impressive. The movie was supposed to have no dialogue at all (just a narrator), but Disney head Michael Eisner insisted on dialogue to make the movie more commercially viable.  It was the highest-budgeted movie of 2000, with a reported cost of $128 million USD (some unnoficial estimates go as high as 200 million).

/

#4

Monsters Inc.

Released 11/2/01

Distributor: Buena Vista

monstersinc

Production Costs:  $115 Million (USD)

U.S. Box Office:  $256 Million  (USD)

Worldwide Box Office:  $525 Million (USD)

Monsters, Inc. was the 4th film in the Pixar lineup.  The film, about monsters who are afraid of children, opened with the highest ticket sales ever at the time, and is the 6th most popular animated film in history.

1

1

/

#5

Treasure Planet

Released 11/27/02

Distributor: Buena Vista

treasureplanet

Production Costs:  $100 Million (USD)

U.S. Box Office:  $38 Million  (USD)

Worldwide Box Office:  $91 Million (USD)

Treasure Planet was a rare miss for Disney/Buena Vista.  A spectacular miss, actually.  It is known as one of the biggest box office bombs ever.  The makers of the film used an innovative animation technique, combining hand drawn 2D animation and 3D computer animation.  It is also  the first film ever to be released simultaneously in regular and IMAX theaters.  Despite these innovations, the film failed to connect with audiences. Some blame the failure on the high competion that year (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Lord Of The Rings Two Towers, and The Santa Clause 2 were all released around the same time).  The high production costs were blamed on the 2D/3D technique. Many critics say the final results of the technique were not worth the extra costs.  But you gotta give Disney credit for trying.

/

#6

Finding Nemo

Released 5/30/03

Distributor: Buena Vista

findingnemo

Production Costs:  $94 Million (USD)

U.S. Box Office:  $339 Million  (USD)

Worldwide Box Office:  $866 Million (USD)

Finding Nemo is another academy award winning feature film for Pixar studios. The heart-warming Finding Nemo had an opening weekend gross of $70 million, a record at the time, but was soon surpassed in 2004 by Shrek 2. There are many rumours about a sequel, but this has not been confirmed officially.

1

/

#7

The Incredibles

Released 11/5/04

Distributor: Buena Vista

theincredibles

Production Costs:  $92 Million (USD)

U.S. Box Office:  $261 Million  (USD)

Worldwide Box Office:  $631 Million (USD)

The Incredibles won the Academy Award in 2004 for best animated feature film. It is Pixars 6th feature film, and the first to be rated PG, rather than G.  It was also the highest selling DVD of 2005 with 17.4 million copies sold.

1

1

1

#8

Toy Story 2

Released 11/19/99

Distributor: Buena Vista

toystory2

Production Costs:  $90 Million (USD)

U.S. Box Office:  $246 Million  (USD)

Worldwide Box Office:  $486 Million (USD)

Toy Story 2 is the sequel to the successful original Toy Story movie, also produced by Pixar and distributed by Disney.The movie revolves around the adventures of a group of toys that come to life when no humans are around to see them.

The movie holds the distinction of being the best reviewed movie ever on the movie site “Rotten Tomatoes”.  There are 108 reviews listed for the movie, all of them positive.

#9

The Wild

Released 4/14/06

Distributor: Buena Vista

thewild

Production Costs:  $80 Million (USD)

U.S. Box Office:  $37 Million  (USD)

Worldwide Box Office:  $87 Million (USD)

The Wild is from C.O.R.E. Feature Animation, and was distributed by Buena Vista (Disney).  The movie was accused of being a rip off of the movie “Madagascar”, although “The Wild” is reported to have been in production before “Madagascar”.  The film only did fair numbers at the box office.

1

1

#10

Shark Tale

Released 10/1/04
Distributor:Dreamworks

sharktale

Production Costs:  $75 Million (USD)

U.S. Box Office:  $161 Million  (USD)

Worldwide Box Office:  $363 Million (USD)

Shark Tale managed to make a hefty profit for Dreamworks, even though it was widely panned by critics (On Rotten Tomatoes, only 35% of 160 critics gave it a positive review)  The film had its controversies, mostly dealing with the ethnic stereotypes portrayed by some of the movie’s characters. Examples:
Italian Americans complained about the stereotypical mobster references;
Some African Americans were offended by the stereotypical behavior of Will Smith’s character.

1

1

$1,005,000 USD

Nothing says “Merry Christmas!” more than a Christmas tree. Bugis Junction, a shopping mall in Singapore, may just have the merriest Christmas in the world. They certainly have the world’s most expensive Christmas tree.

Soo Kee Jewellery produced the expensive tree, decking it with 21,798 diamonds (913 carats total), 3,762 crystal beads and 456 lights. The tree is nearly 20 feet tall and weighs in at over 7,000 pounds. If you’re not impressed by all of those numbers, though, try this one—$1,005,000 USD.

That’s how much the expensive Christmas tree is worth.So, if you find yourself in Singapore during the Holidays, don’t forget to stop by Bugis Junction to stare in awe at the most expensive Christmas tree in the world. Just remember that Christmas isn’t about how much money you can afford to spend decking the halls and giving gifts.

1. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer by Gustav Klimt ($135,000,000)

This record breaking sale was enabled by a court order by the Austrian government to return the painting to the Artist’s rightful heir. The entire dispute lasted over a year and was necessary to return the painting that was looted by the Nazis during World War II. Skillfully painted in 1907 by the art nouveau master Gustav Klimt, the painting was purchased by Ronald S. Lauder, the cosmetics heir, in 2006.

2. Garçon à la Pipe by Pablo Picasso ($104,100,000)

Created during the Rose Period, Garcon a la Pipe showcases Picasso’s exceptional use of cheerful orange and pink palatte.
The oil on canvas painting, measuring 100 × 81.3 cm (slightly over 39 × 32 inches), displays a Parisian boy holding a pipe in his left hand. The record price auction at the time on May 4, 2004 in Sotheby’s was a bit of a surprise to the core art buyers, because it was painted in the style not usually associated with the pioneering Cubist artist.

3. Dora Maar with Cat by Pablo Picasso ($95,200,000)

Another enormous surprise followed in 2006, when this painting near doubled its inaccurate presale estimate and brought in new record $95,200,000 at auction at Sotheby’s on May 3,2006. Painted in 1941, Picasso’s controversial portrait (one of his last) is sometimes described as an unflattering depiction of his mistress, Dora Maar, who was an artist/photographer and mistress of Picasso whose relationship lasted ten years during the 1930s and 40s.

4. Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh ($82,500,000)

This painting by the Dutch Impressionist master Vincent van Gogh suddenly became world-famous when Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito paid $82.5 million for it at auction in Christie’s, New York. Saito was so attached to the painting that he wanted it to be cremated with him when he died. Saito died in 1996 … but the painting was saved. Vincent van Gogh actually painted two versions of Dr Gachet’s portrait. You can view the other version, with a slightly different color scheme, at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
5. Bal Au Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir ($78,000,000)

Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre was painted by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1876. On May 17, 1990, it was sold for $ 78,000,000 at Sotheby’s in New York City to Ryoei Saito, who bought it together with the Portrait of Dr Gachet (see above).

6. Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens ($76,700,000)

This painting by Peter Paul Rubens, painted in 1611, is the only painting in this list which was not painted in the 19th or 20th century. It was sold to Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet for $ 76,700,000 at a 2002 Sotheby’s auction.

7. Portrait de l’Artiste sans Barbe by Vincent van Gogh ($71,500,000)

Portrait de l’artiste sans barbe (“Self-portrait without beard”) is one of many self-portraits by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. He painted this one in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France in September 1889. The painting is a oil painting on canvas and is 40 cm x 31 cm (16″ x 13″). This is an uncommon painting since his other self-portraits show him with a beard. The self-portrait became one of the most expensive paintings of all time when it was sold for $71.5 million in 1998 in New York.

8. Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier by Paul Cézanne ($60,500,000)

This painting by Paul Cézanne, painted in ca. 1893-1894, sold for $60,500,000 at Sotheby’s New York on May 10, 1999 to “The Whitneys”. Whitney, born into one of America’s wealthiest families, was a venture capitalist, publisher, Broadway show and Hollywood film producer, and philanthropist.

9. Femme aux Bras Croisés by Pablo Picasso ($55,000,000)

This work, painted in 1901, was a part of Picasso’s famous Blue Period, a dark, sad time in the artist’s life. The beautiful & various tones of blue are typical. The painting depicts a woman with her arms crossed staring at the endless nothing. Femme aux Bras Croisés was sold for $55,000,000 November 8, 2000, at Christie’s Rockefeller in New York City.

10. Irises by Vincent Van Gogh ($53,900,000)

Vincent van Gogh painted this at Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France in 1889, only one year before his death. In 1987, it became the most expensive painting to date. It was sold for $ 54,000,000 to Alan Bond and later resold to the Getty Museum.

NOTEWORTHY
No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock ($140,000,000?)

Unconfirmed rumors buzzing in the art world now place this painting at the top of the list, at least temporarily. If true, the $140 million price tag would be the highest ever for a painting, besting the $135 million paid for the Gustav Klimt painting Portrait of Adele Block Bauer in June 2006.

$700 million

War and Peace (Russian: Война и мир; Voyna i mir) is a Soviet-produced film adaptation of the Leo Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace. Sergei Bondarchuk directed the film, co-wrote the screenplay and starred in the role of Pierre.

The film took seven years to produce and cost over US$100 million. If inflation is taken into account, a film of this magnitude would cost over US$700 million today, making War and Peace the most expensive film ever made.

Production

Pre-production started at Mosfilm in 1961, and filming commenced in 1963.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the Battle of Borodino scene included 120,000 soldiers, making it one of the largest battle scenes ever filmed. Many museums in the USSR contributed artifacts for the production design, making it one of the most elaborate films ever created.

War and Peace was one of the first films in the USSR to be shot and released in 70 mm. The process was called Sovscope 70 in the USA and Europe, and was the Soviet version of Todd-AO, a large camera/presentation format with 6-channel stereophonic sound. There are many hand held shots in the film, which are difficult to achieve with a 70 mm camera. However, a special lightweight camera was devised for this film (which can be seen on the bonus DVD of the RUSCICO release). The camera resembles a Bolex camera, and its magazine takes up most of the camera body.

Theatrical and television exhibition

In the USSR, the film was released in 4 parts, with a total running time of 484 minutes (8 hours); a longer running time of 511 minutes is a miscalculation based on longer length of 70 mm prints[citation needed]:

    * Part 1 – “Andrei Bolkonsky” and
    * Part 2 – “Natasha Rostova”, combined running time 255 minutes, released 1965
    * Part 3 – “1812″, running time 104 minutes, released 1966
    * Part 4 – “Pierre Bezukhov”, running time 125 minutes, released 1966.

For the US release, the film was shortened by more than an hour and shown in two parts: in some cities, part one was shown for one week and part two the next. However, the US screenings retained the four part structure by dividing part one into two chapters (entitled ‘Natasha and Andrei’ and ‘The Battle of Austerlitz’). Part two was similarly divided into chapters entitled ‘Natasha and Pierre’ and ‘The Burning of Moscow’. The run time of part one was three and a half hours, and part two was three hours both of these include fifteen minute intermissions between the named chapters. The film was dubbed into English with a linking narration, both of which were decried by some reviewers.
War and Peace 1st part soviet poster

In August 1972, the film was shown in the U.S. in a four-part presentation on ABC-TV.

Awards

    * 1969 – Academy Award – Best Foreign Language Film (won), Best Art Direction (Mikhail Bogdanov, Gennadi Myasnikov, Georgi Koshelev, V. Uvarov, nominated)[3]
    * 1969 – Golden Globe – Best Foreign-Language Foreign Film
    * 1969 – National Board of Review Award – Best Foreign Language Film
    * 1968 – New York Film Critics Circle Awards – Best Foreign Language Film

 2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – 2007 – $300,000,000
3. Cleopatra – 1963 – $295,000,000
4. Spider-Man 3 – 2007 – $258,000,000
5. Titanic – 1997 – $247,000,000
6. Waterworld – 1995 – $238,089,000
7. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines – 2003 – $216,400,000
8. X-Men: The Last Stand – 2006 – $210,000,000
9. Spider-Man 2 – 2004 – $210,000,000
10. Superman Returns – 2006 – $209,000,000

$30.8 million

The Codex Leicester is the most expensive book ever sold. The Codex Leicester is a collection of largely scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci.

Physically, the Codex takes the form of 18 sheets of paper, each folded in half and written on both sides, forming the complete 72-page document. At one time the sheets were bound together, but they are now displayed separately. It was handwritten in Italian by Leonardo, using his characteristic mirror writing, and supported by copious drawings and diagrams.

In 1994 Bill Gates bought it at auction for $30.8 million, making it the most expensive book ever, and renamed it the Codex Leicester. The Codex is put on public display once a year in a different city around the world. In 2004 it was exhibited in the Château de Chambord, and in 2005 in Tokyo. One page was exhibited at the Seattle Museum of Flight’s 2006 exhibit “Leonardo da Vinci: Man, Inventor, Genius.” From June to August 2007, the codex will be the centerpiece of a two month exhibition hosted by the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, Ireland.