From Project Hail Mary to a pair of Avengers movies, there is a stacked lineup of upcoming science fiction movies in 2026 and beyond, with budgets of at least $150 million. 2026 is a big year for big-budget movies, as it is set to welcome several sci-fi films with the potential to break box-office records.
While some of these films, like Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, are sure-fire hits, others in the lineup, like Project Hail Mary and Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, have a strong chance to be wildcards in terms of profitability, given the respective franchises' popularity.
Every Upcoming Sci-fi Movie That Has a $150M+ Budget
The Mandalorian and Grogu - $144 Million
The hype surrounding The Mandalorian and Grogu is through the roof since it will be the first Star Wars film to grace the big screen since 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The expectations are high for the Pedro Pascal-led movie, considering that its success would define the franchise's future on the big screen.
According to a March 2025 report from the Bespin Bulletin, Disney and Lucasfilm spent $144.3 million on The Mandalorian and Grogu, making it the cheapest Disney-era Star Wars movie.
The 2026 Star Wars film's budget is clearly not on par with event films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($447 million) and The Rise of Skywalker ($490 million), which is understandable considering the scale of storytelling in The Mandalorian and Grogu is not as grand in the aforementioned projects.
The modest budget makes sense because it serves as a deliberate shift after past high-cost projects underperformed at the box office. Still, the risk is always present, mainly because the fate of its Avengers: Endgame-like crossover project could be canceled if it becomes a box-office failure.
Project Hail Mary - $150 Million
Project Hail Mary, the upcoming film adaptation of Andy Weir's classic novel, has a reported production budget of $150 million (per Variety).
The figure makes sense given the movie's heavy reliance on CGI and visual effects, since a good chunk of the film is set in space. Moreover, the budget positions Project Hail Mary as a film on par with other mid-to-high-range blockbusters like Dune: Part One ($165 million) and another Ryan Gosling-led movie in Blade Runner 2049 (estimated between $150-$185 million).
If anything, the $150 million budget of Project Hail Mary is a safe window for the movie to earn returns large enough to target profitability, but it will all boil down to strong reviews and consistently good word of mouth during its opening weekend.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping - $150 Million
The Hunger Games franchise returns to the big screen later this year with the looming arrival of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The prequel film will revolve around District 12 and the 50th Annual Hunger Games.
Deadline reported that Sunrise on the Reaping has a $150 million budget, which is on the higher end of the franchise. Mockingjay - Parts 1 and 2 each have an estimated budget of $140 million and $160 million, respectively, closer to the Sunrise on the Reaping's projected total.
At this budget range, Lionsgate has the utmost confidence in Sunrise on the Reaping to deliver at the box office. This came after its predecessor, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, grossed $337 million worldwide on a $100 million budget in 2023 (this is on top of strong reviews from fans and critics).
Masters of the Universe - $170 Million
Amazon MGM Studios' highly anticipated adaptation of Masters of the Universe is set to be released on June 5, 2026, and the first trailer offers a sneak peek at the main characters, the intriguing plot, and the film's visual spectacle.
In November 2023, Variety reported that Masters of the Universe had a budget of $170 million, positioning it as a major tentpole blockbuster for Amazon MGM Studios.
The budget is mainly due to the movie's heavy VFX demands, as it is expected to feature massive space battles and He-Man's sword-powered transformations, and it already stars Jared Leto, Nicholas Galitzine, and Idris Elba. While it is a big bet given the high budget, the positive reception and widespread buzz following its first trailer are good signs that it might perform well at the box office.
Supergirl - $200 Million *
A Forbes report in December 2025 stated that the Milly Alcock-led Supergirl film has a whopping $200 million budget. While this makes sense given the movie's cosmic scale and otherworldly characters and environment, DC Studios boss James Gunn already debunked the report's budget claim, so it is unknown what the actual number is.
Given the strong comparisons between Supergirl and Guardians of the Galaxy, it's possible the upcoming DC Studios movie has an estimated budget of $150 to $170 million, with $170 million a closer bet, since that was the reported budget of the 2014 MCU team-up movie.
The $170 million ballpark figure appears modest, given that Superman reportedly had a $225 million budget, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Aside from still not having any trailer, the reported budget of Spider-Man: Brand New Day remains a mystery.
Spider-Man: No Way Home had a $200 million budget, which was understandable given its star-studded cast and Multiversal stakes. Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Homecoming ranked second (even though it was the first entry in the trilogy) at $175 million, and part of the reason why could be the inclusion of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in the cast. This is on top of the extensive visual effects needed for the web-slinging and action scenes against Vulture.
Lastly, Spider-Man: Far From Home was the "cheapest" among the three movies, with a budget of $160 million despite the illusion-heavy VFX sequences tied to Mysterio and international location shooting in Europe.
Given the franchise's transition to street-level, grounded stakes, it's reasonable to assume the fourth movie's budget could be lower than its predecessors'. However, rumors claimed that it will be on par with No Way Home's $200 budget, mainly due to Tom Holland's pay bump, Hulk's VFX, its star-studded cast, and insane action sequences that already include a prison break.
Dune: Part 3
The first two Dune movies were massive box-office hits, with Dune: Part One earning $433 million worldwide despite COVID-19 challenges and Dune: Part Two grossing over $715 million worldwide.
2021's Dune cost $165 million to make, while the budget for the sequel ballooned to a record-breaking $190 million, considered by many a historic milestone for the franchise and the most expensive movie ever directed by Denis Villeneuve.
While the exact budget for Dune: Part Three remains a mystery, some have theorized it will cost between $200 and $210 million due to inflation, higher cast salaries, and tax credits.
Avengers: Doomsday
The bar is high for Avengers: Doomsday to perform well at the box office, considering the hype for the film and its stacked cast of new and returning favorites from the MCU. Doomsday's budget has yet to be confirmed, but projections range from $400 million to $600 million. It's worth noting that Robert Downey Jr. is being paid around $80 million for both Doomsday and Secret Wars.
Avengers: Doomsday's enormous scope and insane star power position the movie as potentially the most expensive project ever made, even surpassing its predecessor, Avengers: Endgame, which had a $356 million reported budget.
There is no denying that Marvel Studios is going all out with Doomsday, and there is a strong chance they firmly believe it will surpass $1 billion, or even $2 billion, at the box office due to the generational hype it will receive.
Man Of Tomorrow
Man of Tomorrow serves as the de facto sequel to James Gunn's Superman and is expected to cost $225 million, on par with its predecessor.
The specifics of the sequel remain shrouded in secrecy, but it makes sense that it will have a similar budget, given DC Studios' strategy of embracing cost control for sequels.
A safe bet for Man of Tomorrow would be between the range of $200 million and $225 million, but it would all depend on the number of returning characters and how much visual effects will be utilized for its confirmed big bad, Brainiac.
Avengers: Secret Wars
Avengers: Secret Wars is set for a December 2027 release, and production has yet to begin, so it still remains to be seen how massive the expected budget for the upcoming sequel will be.
Avengers: Endgame had a reported budget of $356 million, while Infinity War cost around $350-$400 million (mostly due to its jam-packed cast).
Based on the rumored budget of Doomsday, combined with the eventful Battleworld plot that Secret Wars is rumored to have, there is a strong chance that it will cost at least $500 million to make, with upwards projections of $650 million depending on the number of returning Multiversal Variants who will pop up in the sequel.
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova is the latest entry in the MonsterVerse saga, and its budget is expected to be in the same range as its predecessors, with the Godzilla and Kong tagline.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was considered the most cost-effective installment in the MonsterVerse lineup, with a budget of $135 million, leading to a highly profitable run at the box office (via Deadline). 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong had a budget of $155- $200 million, while 2019's King of Monsters bombed at the box office, grossing only $390 million against a $185 million budget (via Forbes).
Kong: Skull Island had the same $185 million budget, but it became profitable after earning an impressive $569 million in 2017. 2014's Godzilla had a production budget of $160 million, resulting in a successful $529 million box-office haul.
Given the success of New Empire, it's possible that Godzilla x Kong: Supernova could have a budget between $135-$150 million and not exceeding the $200 million threshold.
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