One Scene in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Movie Cost More Than the Entire 'Jurassic Park': $70 Million Spent on 5 Minutes

Making a film is an expensive enterprise, and for good reasons. The main expense is stars' salaries. One top actor can earn $20 million, and if a true cast of real stars appears on screen, the budget instantly soars sky-high. But money is spent not only on actors. Epic scenes — the destruction of cities, giant monster attacks, spectacular special effects — require huge investments. Yet it’s exactly these moments that draw audiences to theatres.

Sometimes unexpected details eat up the budget: dozens of costumes for the main character or complex makeup for secondary characters. And such expenses sting the most.

The scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, there is a moment that forever stuck in viewers’ memories. Just recall the shot from the trailer where the crew of the Flying Dutchman, led by Davy Jones, suddenly transforms into terrifying sea creatures. This episode became the franchise’s calling card. In just a few seconds, the sailors turn into disgusting monsters from the deep. Special effects, makeup, and acting combined into a perfect mix here.

Filming the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Creating this iconic transformation scene proved to be an expensive undertaking. Just these few minutes of screen time cost a full $70 million — a sum enough to produce an entire feature film. Such budgets belonged to movies like The Abyss or Jurassic Park. The Devil Wears Prada released the same year, 2006, cost half as much as just one scene from Pirates.

But the result met all expectations. Thanks to stunning visual effects and detailed makeup, the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean became a true film legend. The invested funds paid off handsomely: the movie grossed over a billion at the box office, becoming one of the rare blockbusters of that time to cross that threshold.