Adjusted A New Hope Budget Still Tiny Posted By Eric on January 16, 2012
It's well-known that Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope cost relatively little in 1977 terms and that its blockbuster success more than covered its meager budget. Today, Geek.com posted a scan of the film's cost/profit breakdown sheet, which lists the original Star Wars movie's $11 million budget and its staggering $147,500,000 box office haul. Alec Guinness was obviously the highest-paid actor, but interestingly, Harrison Ford was paid more than both Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher combined.
Geek.com also points out that, when translated to 2012 figures, A New Hope cost $40 million and made $3,082,922,515. That amounts to a $3,042,922,515 profit. By comparison, James Cameron's Avatar generated $2,782,275,172 in profit, and it cost $280 million to make.
Check out the original A New Hope budget/profit document at Geek.com.