In the wake of Barbie’s mammoth opening weekend box office, Variety revealed that the film’s success is due in part to the film’s massive $150 million marketing campaign.
Of course, this isn’t necessarily new in the entertainment business, as major film studios have long been accustomed to dropping dozens of millions to promote their biggest blockbusters, hoping that any and all attention they can grasp will translate into a lucrative return on their investment.
With this in mind, I’ve assembled 20 different examples of movies with astronomically expensive marketing campaigns, for better or for worse, but it would be in bad form if we didn’t start with the lady of the hour…
3.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
5.
Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
7.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
9.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
10.
The Lone Ranger (2013)
11.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
12.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
14.
Justice League (2017)
15.
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
18.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/kenwhanley/major-movies-that-sported-massive-marketing-budgets