TheWesternis a genre that has come to define cinema for as long as pictures have been able to move on a screen. Fromthe classic iconography of Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogyto the more modern takes on the genre, there is no denying the cultural legacy that Western movies have left on the cinematic industry. A consequence of this major influence of the genre, is thatWesterns often have enormous financial backing behind them, giving them some of the biggest budgets in movie history.
Whether that’s the story of a trapper abandoned by his comrades after being mauled by a bear, or a tribute to the heroic soldiers of the Battle of the Alamo, some Westerns' budgets are as large as the movies themselves. Now, a big budget is no guarantee of a good movie, or even of commercial success. Some of these big-budget Westerns were hugely successful and have shaped the genre, while othersbecame box-office flops, and have been embarrassingly swept under the rug by their production company.
10The Horse Whisperer (1998)
$115 Million
Directed by Robert Redford,The Horse Whispereris a dramatized take on the Western genre. It follows the story of Grace (Scarlett Johansson), a teenager who is left a partial amputee following a horrific horse riding accident. Her mother, desperate for a way to help Grace heal, both emotionally and physically, seeks out Tom Brooker (Redford), the titular “horse whisperer”. He works with Grace and her horse, Pilgrim, to help them both after the accident.
It may not have the explosive action of more orthodox Westerns, but it is nevertheless a compelling addition to the genre.
With a large budget of approximately $115 million (adjusted for inflation),The Horse Whispererended up performing moderately well at the box office. It’s a Western rich with themes about the bond between humans and horses, as well as the importance of grief following tragedy. It may not have the explosive action of more orthodox Westerns, but it is nevertheless a compelling addition to the genre.
9The Alamo (1960)
$128 Million
When it was first released in 1960,John Wayne’sThe Alamowas one of the biggest and most ambitious Westernsthe genre had ever seen. Directed by and starring Wayne as Davy Crockett, The Alamo dramatizes the events of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo between Mexico and the Republic of Texas. The battle has become legendary in American folklore, andThe Alamoattempts to replicate this by focusing on the heroism of the Texan soldiers.
It was a massive production, with the production team constructing a three-quarter scale replica of the Alamo mission just for filming. This led to the budget reaching a staggering $128 million when adjusted for inflation, with the production being praised for its authenticity. WhileThe Alamowas a critical success,earning seven Academy Award Nominations, it was a commercial failure and never truly resonated with audiences the way that Wayne expected it to.
8The Alamo (2004)
$130 Million
The 2004 remake of John Wayne’sThe Alamosought to take a different approach to the original. It took a more grounded, historically accurate to the Battle of the Alamo, aiming to strip away some of the overly dramatized mythology of the 1960 version. It’s a movie that delves into the personalities of legendary characters such asDavy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton)and Jim Bowie (Jason Patric).
However, this ambitious project did not perform well at the box office. With a budget of roughly $130 million when adjusted for inflation,The Alamogrossed less than $30 million worldwide (viaTheScriptLab). Its large budget has made it one of the biggest box office bombs in movie history, with critics also being divided on it.The Alamonow serves as a reminder of the careful balance to be trod between historical accuracy and compelling drama within any movie.
7Wyatt Earp (1994)
$145 Million
Lawrence Kasdan’sWyatt Earpis one of the most ambitious takes on the titular US lawmen ever produced. A sweeping biographical epic,Wyatt Earpstars Kevin Costner as Earp, charting his life from his days as a rancher, to his involvement at the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.Wyatt Earpwas intended by Kasdan to be an epic character study, with its three-hour runtime certainly allowing for enough time to delve into the complexities of the titular figure.
Wyatt Earp (1994)
Cast
Wyatt Earp (1994) is a biographical Western film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Kevin Costner as the legendary lawman. The film chronicles Wyatt Earp’s life, focusing on his relationships with his brothers and his role in iconic events such as the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The cast includes Dennis Quaid as Doc Holliday and Gene Hackman as Nicholas Earp, providing a comprehensive exploration of Earp’s complex legacy.
Wyatt Earp’s budget, when adjusted for inflation, amounts to about $145 million. However, a number of factors prevented the movie from performing well at the box office, including the fact that a more action-packed and condensed portrayal of Earp’s life,Tombstone, was released at the same time. Despite its commercial failings,Wyatt Earpnevertheless remains one of the most complex and ambitious Westerns ever produced.
6The Revenant (2015)
$151 Million
The Revenant, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, is one of the most unique takes on the Western genre of all time. It focuses on the true story of Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio), a trapper left for dead by his comrades after being mauled by a bear. Glass takes survival into his own hands, fighting his way against the unforgiving wilderness as he seeks to exact vengeance on those who left him to die.
The Revenant
Inspired by the true events in the life of Hugh Glass, The Revenant is an action-drama movie that sees Leonardo DiCaprio in the starring role. Betrayed and left for dead by one of the members of his hunting group, Glass finds himself contending with some of the harshest elements imaginable while tending to his deadly wounds, as his will to carry on and need for revenge push him to carry on in this gripping tale of survival.
The Revenant’s budget comes to about $151 million today, with its production gaining a reputation for being extremely grueling. The movie was shot almost entirely with natural light, meaning both the cast and crew were subjected to extremely harsh conditions while on set. Despite this,The Revenant’s ambition paid off, and it became a critical and commercial success, earning DiCaprio his first Academy Award as it did so.
5Heaven’s Gate (1980)
$163 Million
Heaven’s Gatehas gained a reputation, not for the content of the movie itself, but for the horrendous production stories behind it. Coming off the back of his major success withThe Deer Hunter, director Michael Cimino was essentially given free-reign over the creative direction ofHeaven’s Gate. The movie is based on the Johnson County War, a dispute and eventual conflict between land barons and European immigrants in 1890s Wyoming.
The director was also criticized for his authoritarian style of direction, and it has often been said thatHeaven’s Gate’s critical and commercial failings spelled an end to the era of director-driven movies in Hollywood.
Put lightly,Heaven’s Gatewas a mess. Cimino’s expensive and ambitious vision for the movie pushed it nearly four times over its original budget, equating to roughly $163 million in 2024. The director was criticized for his authoritarian style of direction, and it has often been said thatHeaven’s Gate’s critical and commercial failingsspelled an end to the era of director-driven movies in Hollywood.
AfterHeaven’s Gate’srelease, studios began to get more involved in the creative decisions of movies, and while Cimino’s massive failure has been re-assessed more lightly in the years since its release, there is no denying the bad taste in the mouth that the movie has left on the genre.
4Rango (2011)
$180 Million
Rangois perhaps not what most people would think of when asked about Westerns. It is an animated movie about the titular chameleon (Johnny Depp) as he stumbles into the town of Dirt. A series of lies and mishaps lead to the townspeople believing he is a mythical hero, there to save them from drought.Rangoexplores surprisingly deep themes of identity and belonging while also providing a compelling story about a gunslinging chameleon.
In retrospect,Rangois arguably one of the most creative and unique Westerns of all time, a refreshing take on a genre that is so often seen to be past its prime.
The movie’s director, Gore Verbinski, took the ambitious project to great heights, with a budget approximating roughly $180 million when adjusted for inflation. However, the movie was a major success, both critically and commercially, going on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. In retrospect,Rangois arguably one of the most creative and unique Westernsof all time, a refreshing take on a genre that is so often seen to be past its prime.
3Home On The Range (2004)
$194 Million
Home on the Rangewas a Western intended by Disney to be the final hurrah of 2D animation before the studio’s full shift to 3D. It’s an animated comedy that follows a group of farm animals led by a cow named Maggie (Roseanne Barr) as they come together to try and save their farm from being closed. Their plan to raise the money is to capture the infamous rustler, Alameda Slim (Randy Quaid), and use the money that they would collect from his bounty.
Home On The Range
Home on the Range follows three cows Maggie, Grace and Mrs Caloway who take on a mission to stop their home from being taken away when their dairy farm is served an eviction notice. Forming a team with the Sheriff’s horse, they set out to collect the ransom on cattle rustler Alameda Slim to take their fate into their own hands.
The hand-drawn animation and various musical numbers led toHome on the Rangecosting roughly $194 million. Released during a transition period for Disney, the movie never recouped its production costs, and received mixed reviews from critics. Looking back,Home on the Rangeis nevertheless a quirky addition to the genre, and has been described as one ofDisney’s more underrated movies of the 21st century.
2Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
$220 Million
Cowboys & Alienswas a truly ambitious attempt to synthesize the genres of Western and sci-fi into a successful blockbuster. The movie stars Daniel Craig as an amnesiac outlaw, and Harrison Ford as a wealthy cattleman, as the two band together to save a group of townspeople who have been abducted by aliens. Set in a retro-futuristic version of the Southwestern US in the 1870s,Cowboys & Aliensis nothing less than a genre-bending rollercoaster of action and adventure.
Cowboys and Aliens
Cowboys and Aliens is a sci-fi/western movie directed by Iron Man director Jon Favreau. The 2011 film is based on Scott Mitchell Rosenberg’s graphic novel of the same name and features an ensemble cast that includes Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, and Paul Dano.
The movie’s star-studded cast, along with its special effects and action sequences, led to the budget coming to about $220 million when adjusted for inflation.Cowboys & Aliensfailed to break even at the box office, and had mixed reviews from critics. Despite this commercial failure,Cowboys & Aliensis one of the more unique Westerns of recent times, and tells an exciting story.
1The Lone Ranger (2013)
$294 Million
It is probably not an understatement to suggest that most people only knowThe Lone Rangerbecause of its infamous box office flop. Gore Verbinski’s second take on the Western genre was an attempt to revitalizeThe Lone Rangerfranchise, with Armie Hammer being cast in the titular role, while Johnny Depp played his Native American comrade, Tonto. The movie follows the two as they seek answers and justice following the murder of a group of Texas rangers.
Delays, re-shoots, massive set pieces, trains, and excessive special effects led to the movie costing an eye-watering inflation-adjusted $294 million. It is undoubtedly the most expensive Western ever produced, and is proof that a big budget doesn’t guarantee commercial or critical success.The Lone Rangerhas since become one of the biggest box-office flops in cinematic history, and was heavily criticized for its casting of Depp, a Caucasian, as a Native American. While it certainly has a compelling story to tell, it was a financial disaster for Disney and its 160-minute runtime prevented it from being commercially successful.
The Lone Ranger
Based on the character of the same name, The Lone Ranger follows John Reid (Armie Hammer), A.K.A. The Lone Ranger, and his Native American companion Tonto (Johnny Depp). Narrated by Tonto, The Lone Ranger recounts the duo’s early efforts to bring peace and justice to the Old West, apprehending various unscrupulous characters. Alongside Depp and Hammer, The Lone Ranger stars Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, and Helena Bonham Carter.
