Television shows that are made for small screens usually don’t receive the same level of budget in comparison to a blockbuster movie. There are exceptions, of course. Sometimes, with casting, reshoots, and the need for special effects, a project can go over its initial budget. While anything tied to a major IP wouldn’t be cheap to make, some can be exceedingly expensive. This is particularly true when it comes to fantasy series like Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Fantasy series in general cost a lot to make, as worldbuilding can be a costly task. In addition to the setting, a large ensemble cast and big battle scenes can also result in budget overruns. However, some shows in particular stand out for going way beyond even the largest budget expectations for a TV series.

The Force Is Strong With Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Budget

Reported Cost Per Episode: $15 Million

Set in a galaxy far, far away, anything that takes place in the Star Wars universe, with the exception of George Lucas’ original film, will involve a massive blockbuster budget. This is also true for small-screen series on Disney+. From costumes to casts to the science fiction setting, the Disney+ shows worked with a large budget to continue to have regular Star Wars elements and settings. These shows also rely heavily on special effects. On top of that, they needed a budget to feature big names from the original and prequel trilogies to keep fans engaged.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is reportedly the least expensive Star Wars show to date. However, with the involvement of the original prequel trilogy’s main cast, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, it didn’t end up saving any money. Epic Stream (via Screen Rant) reported that the production budget for the show was $90 million. Based on the estimate, each episode roughly cost around $15 million.

The Sandman’s Big Budget Is No Dream

Reported Budget Per Episode: $15 Million

It’s no surprise that DC and Netflix’s dark fantasy seriesThe Sandman would cost a lot to make. With a large, star-studded cast that includes Tom Sturridge, Jenna Coleman, and Gwendoline Christie, and extensive CGI to support the world-building, the dollar amount is understandably anything but modest.

Netflix backed The Sandman with $15 million per episode. With 11 episodes in The Sandman Season 1, the show’s overall budget is around $165 million. This number also only includes production costs. With the addition of marketing expenses, the cost is likely to be even higher.

Game of Thrones’ Final Season Didn’t Bend the Knee to Production Costs

Reported Budget Per Episode: $15 Million

With eight seasons and 73 episodes, Game of Thrones‘ costs ballooned significantly as the show’s popularity increased. The CGI alone cost the show a fortune, given that designing a fictional world of Westeros isn’t an easy task. With many filming locations involved and a large ensemble cast, the show wasn’t cheap to start with. Season 1 reportedly cost around $5-6 million an episode (h/t Screen Rant), and the price only went up from there.

Game of Thrones is responsible for housing big stars like Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, and Lena Headey, who reportedly had a salary of around $500K per episode. Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams, on the other hand, were paid around $175K per episode. Adding the cost of the rest of the cast and CGI and production costs, Season 7 cost $70 million. The controversial final season of Game of Thrones, which featured the fight during the Long Night, ended up costing around $15 million an episode.

Each Episode of House of the Dragon Cost More Than Game of Thrones

Reported Budget Per Episode: <$20 Million

According to Variety, the epic Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon cost just under $20 million per episode for its first season. It makes a lot of sense that the prequel series would cost more than the original show per episode, given the involvement of a lot of dragons. There are only three dragons in Game of Thrones, while House of the Dragon takes place at a time when dragons and dragon riders rule the battles.

With the Targaryen civil war going on, the show was constantly in need of extensive CGI. It also explains why the show takes so long to get to the point. If they had a battle in every episode (especially when the war breaks off), the cost would be even higher.

The Pacific’s Budget Was Explosive

Reported Budget Per Episode: $20 Million+

The epic miniseries titled The Pacific is a World War II period piece that ended up costing more than most science fiction series. Executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, it tackles America’s military activities around the Pacific Ocean. HBO’s original budget for the series was $100 million.

With the involvement of depicting battles on Iwo Jima and Peleliu, the show did more than just double the cost. The 10-episode, one-season series cost over $217 million to make, according to THR. This made each episode cost around $21.7 million. In addition to the massively large budget, HBO spent another $10 million on promoting the show to make sure it’d reach a broad enough audience.

The Acolyte’s Costs Were Higher Than Expected

Reported Budget Per Episode: $28.9 Million

While anything in the Star Wars universe would generally cost a lot, The Acolyte‘s costs were staggering. Initially, it was reported that The Acolyte cost Disney $49 million. According to the company’s U.K. tax documents (via That Dark Place), the show actually cost over $231 million to make, which is a new height for a Disney+ miniseries.

The reason behind the company’s massive spending on this show isn’t clear. However, one thing that is clear is that the Star Wars prequel series didn’t generate enough viewership to make it worth the investment. As a direct-to-streaming show, a major way for the company to make money is through sponsored advertisements inserted into each episode. The bigger the viewership is, the higher the payout. In the case of The Acolyte, the show was canceled after just one season.

Stranger Things’ Budget Got Turned Upside Down

Reported Cost Per Episode: $30 Million

The Duffer brothers were given a “spare no expense” to make their vision come true, which involves making each episode of the sci-fi fantasy horror series look like an ’80s movie. Needless to say, the ’80s aesthetic alone was costly. Each episode in Season 1 cost around $6 million. Over time, the show also included more fight scenes and special effects to depict the Upside Down and scary creatures.

The main cast’s soaring fame also means a raise in salary. By the time of Season 4, each episode of Stranger Things would cost $30 million, and a huge portion of it went to cast salaries. Aside from the budding young actors, the show also has big names like David Harbour and Winona Ryder, who were paid around $350K per episode. The COVID pandemic also caused some disruption to the show, where they had to reshoot several scenes because the young cast looked different.

Secret Invasion’s Budget Was No Secret

Reported Budget Per Episode: $35 Million

Secret Invasion is another flop from Disney and Marvel Studios. Despite having Samuel L. Jackson, superheroes, and a spy drama, the show had the second-lowest viewership among all Marvel/Disney+ miniseries. Led by Jackson and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, Secret Invasion follows the agents as they try to track down shape-shifting aliens called Skrulls.

With a promising premise and a very strong cast, Disney spared no expense in making the show. Thtat said, despite only having six episodes, the series resulted in a ballooned budget. Each episode cost an average of $35 million to make, with the total budget of the Jackson-led series being around $211.6 million (via Forbes).

Citadel Cost Amazon Studios a Pretty Penny

Reported Budget Per Episode: $50 Million

Spy series can be a hit or miss, but Citadel had a much bigger chance to deliver its promise. The series was envisioned as something with major franchise potential. Not only does Citadel have Joe and Anthony Russo on board as executive producers, but it also has Josh Appelbaum, Bryan Oh, and David Weil as show creators. With the vision of having an Avengers-style spy series in mind, Citadel was also a passion project for Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke.

Due to creative differences, the series went through many changes during production. Half of the creative team left, and many scenes also received extensive reshoots, causing the show to go over its initial budget. In the end, Citadel cost $50 million per episode to produce, making it one of the most expensive television shows ever made.

The Rings of Power Had a Precious Price Tag

Reported Budget Per Episode: $58.1 Million

Though the number has been contested, it was reported that the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cost Amazon Studios $465 million. The prequel series is also a passion project of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Needless to say, Amazon was ready to spend a lot on the series. Being a prequel to Lord of the Rings, the series also carries the weight to appeal to both old and new J.R.R. Tolkien fans.

From massive physical sets to ground-breaking special effects, every corner of The Rings of Power is supposed to be better than the best. It’s also worth noting that an additional $250 million was allocated to securing the rights to the Tolkien mythos, so when all is said and done, the actual cost associated with getting The Rings of Power to the small screen was over $700 million.