Netflix's most expensive film cost more than Avatar, The Avengers; was rejected by studios, ended up a $320 million flop
Netflix's most expensive film has over a dozen stars and cost $320 million to make. Yet, it has had a disastrous time since its release.
When streaming platforms first emerged, they were seen as a more budget-friendly alternative to the big-ticket experience. As a result, the films that were released directly on OTT were smaller in scale, if not star power. That has changed over the last few years, with big filmmakers bringing superstars to the small screens in films that have astronomical budgets. But it does not always go as planned, as happened with Netflix's most expensive film. (Also read: World's highest-grossing film series made $31 billion, more than Star Wars, Harry Potter, and James Bond combined)
Netflix's most expensive film ever
The Russo Brothers, of Avengers: Endgame and Citadel fame, are known for no half-measures. All their shows and films have been large-scale and mega-budget. They were the first to mount a $200-million film on Netflix with The Gray Man, and in 2025, they outdid themselves with The Electric State. The film, with a reported budget of $320 million (according to Deadline), is the most expensive Netflix original film ever. Starring Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown, the dystopian actioner was marketed as the streamer's tentpole for this quarter.
How expensive is The Electric State, you ask? It is the 13th most expensive film ever made, behind only colossal projects like Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($47 million), Fast X ($379 million), and Avengers: Endgame ($356 million) to name a few. But The Electric State's production budget is still more than some of the biggest blockbusters ever made, including Justice League ($300 million), Gladiator II ($250 million), Avatar ($237 million), and The Avengers ($220 million).
The debacle that was The Electric State
Problems arose for The Electric State right from the pre-production phase. In 2020, two years after the Russos acquired the rights for Simon Stålenhag's 2018 illustrated novel of the same name, Universal Pictures won the distribution rights. However, two years later, Universal exited from the film, and Netflix stepped in.
The film's release saw a wave of negative reviews and word of mouth as the film failed to not just garner viewers but hold their attention as well. The film has a 14% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. In its review, The Vulture called the film a "$320 million piece of junk", while ScreenRant called it "a little harmful to that cultural concept we call 'The Movies'." Business Insider summed up the film's fate as they labelled it a 'dumb, unfunny $320 million flop'.
The Electric State also stars Ke Huy Quan, Stanley Tucci, Woody Norman, and Giancarlo Esposito, along with the voices of Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Brian Cox, and Hank Azaria among others. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.
