The Electric State Budget, Explained for Netflix’s Most Expensive Movie Ever

As the biggest premium streaming service in the world, Netflix shells out top dollar for its marquee original movies and television series. This is especially true for The Electric State, which is the most expensive movie Netflix has made yet. Here’s why The Electric State budget is so pricey.

The Electric State Budget, Explained

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, The Electric State has a reported production budget of $320 million, making it the most expensive Netflix single original film project the streamer has made to date. This surpasses one of the previous record holders, 2022’s The Gray Man, also directed by the Russo Brothers and penned by Markus and McFeely, by 50%, as The Gray Man reportedly cost $200 to make. The reason for the inflated budget for both projects likely comes down to the unique nature of cast and crew salaries for projects that are intended to be streaming exclusives. Previously, The Gray Man was tied with 2021’s Red Notice as Netflix’s most expensive original movie.

Streaming exclusive projects don’t usually come with the same profit-sharing revenue for cast and crew that theatrical or conventional television broadcast projects receive. With little to no box office revenue or home video sales to help fill out their salaries on the backend, this means star talent, both on-screen and behind-the-scenes, understandably expect larger salaries than usual upfront as compensation for their work. Given the caliber of acting and creative talent behind The Electric State, the movie was always going to come with a higher price tag than most theatrical releases as soon as it found a home on Netflix.

The Electric State boasts an all-star cast led by Chris Pratt, Millie Bobby Brown, and Woody Harrelson, along with Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, and more major actors in supporting roles. Each of these performers probably received a larger salary than they usually would for similarly sized roles in more conventional film and television projects. And while the majority of the Russos’ work following Avengers: Endgame may not be critical hits, their streaming projects, including The Gray Man, remain popular draws for audiences worldwide. That means the Russos, along with Markus and McFeely, similarly got hefty paydays for their participation in bringing The Electric State to life.

And then there’s the matter of the movie’s visual effects, which are prominent throughout the film given the story’s futuristic, dystopian premise. From sweeping landscapes to the multiple robots appearing throughout the movie, The Electric State is a CG-intensive movie, with visual effects carrying their own high price tag. Between the visual effects-heavy nature of the movie and the big name stars in the cast and crew, The Electric State had all the pricey components to raise its production budget to record-breaking heights.

Though critical reception has been mixed, at best, towards The Electric State, the film was always going to be one of Netflix’s biggest movies of the year. With a price tag to match, Netflix is betting big that the Russo Brothers and the movie’s big-name cast will attract streaming views as the 2025 summer season approaches.