10 Great Action TV Shows With Massive Budgets

TV shows that consistently deliver heart-pumping Action have become a dominant force in the modern entertainment industry. A consequence of this massive popularity is that Production companies and streaming services are now more likely to invest massive budgets In the shows to improve their production quality. Expansive set designs, CGI, impressive stunt work and A-list casting all contribute to the massive budgets (via Media C-Suite).

While a big budget is no guarantee of a good TV show, it’s hard to deny that many of these shows are incredible. From exploring the worlds of Westeros and Middle-earth, to a galaxy far, far, away, these shows have left an indelible mark on the television industry and set the bar for other action television shows to aspire to. These shows have revolutionized contemporary televisionand often boast budgets per episode that rival even the biggest blockbuster movies.

10

Halo (2022-2024)

Budget: $10.4 million per episode

Based on the extremely popular video game franchise of the same name, Hello Is A sci-fi epic set in the 26th century. It brings to life the futuristic military world of Lord Chief as the UNSC battles the Covenant. With an estimated budget of around $200 million financed by Paramount+, Hello quickly became one of the most expensive television shows ever made.

The massive production cost is driven by the need to bring the video game world to life, matching the expectations of audiences and also sure to immerse them in the futuristic setting. Incredible CGI and set design set Hello separately And gave the producers the ability to bring real depth to this fictional world. While Hello Sadly canceled after only two seasons, it remains one of the most ambitious action television projects and video game adaptations of all time.

9

see (2019-2022)

Budget: $15 million per episode

Apple TV+ is set in a post-apocalyptic world over 600 years in the future See told The story of a man who lost his sense of sight. The ability to see is nothing more than a myth. Jason Momoa stars as Baba Voss, a fearless tribal leader whose world is turned upside down when two babies who can see are born in his tribe.

SeeThe production budget was ballooning, not only because of the expansive sets that were used, but because of the dedication of the actors to the roles they were playing. Sighted actors underwent weeks of intense training and choreography to bring a sense of authenticity to this world of blindness.

The make See OOne of the most unique television productions of modern yearsAnd the set design is intricately detailed in order to make it feel like the world was truly inhabited by blind people. innovative and impressive, See It may not be as popular as other big budget TV shows on this list, but it tells a compelling story in a very unique way.

8

The Witcher (2019-ongoing)

Budget: $10.1 million per episode

When Netflix is The Witcher First released, it quickly became one of the streaming giant’s flagship series, with a budget of around $10 million per episode. Based on the popular books and video games, The WitcherPrevious seasons starred Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. The dedication to the action scenes that Cavill brought to this role was amazing, and his character was often seen as a standout while he was on the show.

The Witcher had a massive budget, much of which went into elaborate special effects, detailed set designs and costumes, and fast-paced action set pieces. It has become One of Netflix’s most successful and popular shows of all timeAnd while only time will tell what Liam Hemsworth will bring to the role of Geralt, there’s no denying the legacy that The Witcher Has left on fantasy and action TV shows. Its high production value, blend of practical effects and CGI, and engaging storytelling all prove that the budget was well spent here.

7

WandaVision (2021)

Budget: $25 million per episode

WandaVision was the first example of the Marvel Cinematic Universe dipping its toes into the television industry, and certainly Set an impressive standard for future shows to match. WandaVision Tells the story of ​​Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) in the aftermath of Avengers: EndgameAnd explore how she puts an entire city under her spell to cope with the loss of vision (Paul Bethany).

The MCU is known for its big budget movies, so it was no surprise WandaVision has an eye-watering budget of $25 million per episode. This massive budget was heavily invested in production design and CGI. The set is constantly changing, with each episode telling Wanda’s story from a different sitcom perspective in different decades.

Coupling this with ambitious CGI and the salaries of its two main stars, WandaVision Has a total budget of approximately $225 million. However, the show is still one of the most unique and compelling MCU projects out there, telling an emotional story about grief and loss, and justifying the incredibly large budget.

6

Stranger Things (2016-ongoing)

Budget: $30 million per episode

Netflix Stranger things has become more than just a TV show, it’s a cultural phenomenon. First premiering on the streaming service in 2016, Stranger things Tells the story of a small town, Hawkins, in Indiana, and the strange events that consistently happen there. It was first released to instant critical and commercial successWith its main popularity likely contributing to the ever-increasing production value of its seasons.

Season 4 was released in 2022, and it was estimated to have a budget per episode of approximately $30 million. This was mainly due to The CGI monsters such as Vecna ​​and the DemogorgonAs well as the incredible set design, especially in the upside down, parallel universe with a gateway to Hawkins.

As well as this, the cast salaries of Stranger things have only grown since the beginning, contributing to the ever-increasing budget of the show. Despite this massive investment, Stranger things remains one of the biggest TV shows in recent years, proving that it was a worthwhile investment.

5

The Last of Us (2023-ongoing)

Budget: $15 million per episode

HBO’s The last of usBased on the critically acclaimed video game franchise of the same name, was one of the most expensive shows of 2023. With an estimated total production budget of over $100 million, The last of us became The manifestation of HBO’s incredible production value.

It faithfully tells the story of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Eli (Bella Ramsay) as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world overrun with infected, and is One of the most ambitious television projects of recent years. When watching The last of usIt is easy to see that the production budget was very well spent.

From the incredible makeup and CGI of the infected, to the post-apocalyptic landscape and set design, to the star-studded cast, no expense was spared in bringing the world of The last of us To live for television. Compelling, heartbreaking and soul-crushing, The last of us is a very special piece of media, and HBO has been able to bring it to television in an excellent way.

4

House of the Dragon (2022-ongoing)

Budget: $20 million per episode

There was one key way in which HBO wanted to echo the success of Game of Thrones In his introduction, House of the DragonAnd that was with fantastic production value. It reportedly costs the company around $20 million per episode to make, House of the Dragon told The history of Westeros over two centuries before the events of Game of ThronesRecalling the events of the Targaryen Civil War, also known as the Dance of the Dragons. Based on the book by George RR Martin, Fire and blood, House of the Dragon Surely this budget needs to be a success.

The show The budget is going to make Westeros come to life yet again. From epic, large-scale action sequences, to the grand set pieces, immersive costume designs, and, of course, the CGI dragons themselves, no expense was spared by House of the Dragons first two seasons. While Martin himself is not particularly thrilled with House of the Dragons second season, that didn’t stop it from becoming one of the most popular shows of the last decade.

3

The Mandalorian (2019-ongoing)

Budget: $12.6 million per episode

The Mandalorian is one of the most compelling projects to come out of these Star Wars franchise since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, and some of this success can be attributed to its massive budget. It tells the story of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), A bounty hunter from Mandalore who meets the young Grogu. Over three seasons, Dean becomes attached to Grogu and fights to protect him against a galaxy that wants him dead.

The MandalorianHis budget helped contribute to the show’s revolution in television production, with his use of the “band” stage being highly praised. The volume is a modern digital set that uses LED screens to create immersive environments and set pieces, from the dusty, western atmosphere of Tattoine to the interior of Dean’s ship. This massive feat in CGI made The Mandalorian One of the biggest budget TV shows ever when it was first released, But it has since become one of the most heartfelt and popular entries in the Star Wars Franchise, prove that it was well spent.

2

Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Budget: $15 million per episode

Game of Thrones is perhaps the most impressive television show of all time with regard to production quality. It was an unprecedented feat of ambition for HBO to attempt to bring Westeros to the small screen in this way, but, for the most part, it was incredibly successful. In the later seasons, the budget was estimated to be approximately $15 million per episode, with The show produced some of the greatest action set pieces in television history.

From the Battle of the Bastards, to the Wildfire in the Sept of Baelor, and of course, the iconic sets, Game of Thrones Set an incredibly high standard of television production that has never been seen before. While Game of Thrones‘ Last season was lacking in how it wrapped up the story, this did not take away from the seven seasons of incredible action, story and intrigue that HBO provided audiences with. Game of Thrones‘ Budget proved that TV shows could rival cinema in terms of both scope and ambition.

1

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022-ongoing)

Budget: $58.1 million per episode

Prime Video’s take on JRR Tolkien’s Middle-earth is, by a long stretch, The most expensive TV series of all time so far. With the inclusion of rights acquisition and production, the budget for the first two seasons of Rings of power That alone comes to an eye-watering and game-changing $1 billion. This is unprecedented, and more than the budget of all three Lord of the Rings Movies put together.

It tells the story of the forging of the Rings of Power, and explores the backstories of iconic characters such as Sauron, Galadriel and Elrond. Of course, much of the production budget was on Vast amounts of CGI and set design To bring Middle-earth to the screen once more.

A combination of CGI and practical effects were used for the various action scenes in the first two seasons, creating some visually stunning moments. The Visuals and ambitious storytelling On display in the Rings of power are a testament to the immense scale of the project and Amazon’s unprecedented financial investment.

Source: Media C-Suite