Creating a movie is an intricate balance of artistry, talent, and budgeting. Despite the best efforts of filmmakers, sometimes the financial faucet runs dry, leading to some noticeably compromised moments on the big screen. We’ve identified 14 such films that infamously displayed the “They Ran Out of Budget” sign. These instances range from laughably poor special effects to abrupt narrative conclusions, each one a testament to the critical role of funding in realizing a cinematic dream. These examples stand as cautionary tales, illustrating what happens when ambition outpaces the wallet.
1. The Ending of World War Z (2013)
World War Z, a zombie apocalypse thriller, faced significant budgetary issues during its production, and the original ending of the film didn’t perform well with test audiences. The ending of the film suffered the most as a result. The original version’s climax was set in Russia and featured a massive battle against zombies in Moscow’s Red Square.
The scene depicted a more grandiose and action-packed confrontation between the surviving humans and the zombie horde. However, the original ending was deemed unsatisfactory due to budget constraints and production issues. The film’s final version featured a more contained and intimate conclusion, focusing on finding a scientific solution to the zombie pandemic rather than a large-scale battle. Matthew Fox’s character was also supposed to play a more prominent role in the plot as a villain.
The original ending was supposed to involve Pitt’s character phoning his wife after being trapped in Russia to discover that his family is safe in an Everglades camp but that his wife had to trade herself to Fox’s character to keep her and her children safe. Test audiences hated the grim ending, and hasty rewrites and reshoots ensued, which is why Fox’s character feels so out of place in the final cut, given he is such a recognizable face popping up in a huge movie with minimal screentime or dialogue.
2. Deadpool Forgets the Ammo Bag Before the Big Shootout (2016)
In the irreverent superhero film Deadpool, a comedic moment was a subtle nod to budgetary limitations. Before a climactic shootout, the title character Deadpool realizes that he forgot his ammunition bag, leading to an amusing sequence where he must improvise with limited resources. Another tongue-in-cheek way the film satirizes budget constraints is when Deadpool visits the X-Men mansion.
He only sees Colossus and NTW the entire time he’s there, and then the camera pans over to a room filled with modern X-Men who promptly close the door. I have to agree with this Deadpool fan who says, “Deadpool was a great example of constraints making the writing better. The studio would only approve a budget smaller than the script was written aimed at, so that was born.”
3. Masters of the Universe Climactic Battle (1987)
Masters of the Universe aimed to bring the popular animated series to the big screen, but budget constraints severely impacted the film’s climactic battle. As the epic confrontation between He-Man and Skeletor unfolded, it became apparent that the production had exhausted its financial resources.
The result was a visually underwhelming and hastily staged battle scene with minimal special effects and lackluster set designs, which one viewer describes as a “black void” because you can hardly see anything besides the characters and their swords. The diminished scale of the conflict and the noticeable absence of grandeur left some fans of the franchise feeling let down by the movie’s inability to realize its ambitious vision fully, but others still regard the scene as “peak 80s cinema.”
4. The Abrupt Ending of The Snowman (2017)
The Snowman, a crime thriller based on a famous novel, faced numerous production problems that led to a rushed and abrupt ending. The film’s budget constraints affected the post-production phase, resulting in incomplete scenes and an incoherent resolution. Key plot points were left unexplained, leaving audiences puzzled and unsatisfied. The lack of financial resources ultimately hindered the movie’s ability to deliver a satisfying conclusion, leaving viewers feeling shortchanged, with the villain being defeated by simply falling through ice and ending the film.
5. The Young Scorpion King Fights an Invisible Giant Scorpion in The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior (2008)
The Scorpion King 2: The Rise of a Warrior faced significant budgetary challenges that were most apparent in a pivotal fight scene. The young Scorpion King battles an invisible giant scorpion, which was intended to be a visually spectacular moment. Due to budget limitations, the production was unable to fully realize the creature and its interactions with the protagonist.
As a result, the scene suffered from poor CGI effects and lackluster execution. The absence of a convincing visual representation of the giant scorpion detracted from the intensity and excitement that the sequence was meant to deliver and really sank in just how much audacity some of these film studios have in making anything do.
6. The Return of the Killer Tomatoes! (The Entire Movie) (1988)
Return of the Killer Tomatoes was a low-budget comedy horror film that embraced its financial limitations as part of its charm. The entire movie’s premise, from its concept to execution, was intentionally crafted with a tongue-in-cheekapproach, highlighting the lack of funds.
The deliberately low-quality production values, cheesy special effects, and intentionally absurd storyline were all part of the film’s self-awareness and playful embrace of its limited budget. The film directly calls out the film’s low budget (by Hollywood standards) through hilarious, self-aware dialogue about product placement, a furry tomato being a stand-in for a dog, how actors are playing ten different roles, and the film’s lack of special effects.
7. The Submarine Scene in Escape From L.A. (1996)
In Escape From L.A., the production’s budgetary limitations impacted a crucial submarine scene. What was supposed to be a high-stakes and action-packed sequence didn’t have the resources to make it happen as it was written. The lack of funds resulted in compromised special effects and set design, like a comical torpedo submarine, complete with a terrible CGI shark.
8. Characters Discussing What Happened in the Map World Without Showing Anything in Dungeons & Dragons (2000)
Dungeons & Dragons faced significant budget constraints that affected its ability to bring the fantasy world to life. In one notable instance, the film resorted to characters simply discussing events that occurred in a map world without visually showing anything.
The characters were drawn into a magical map which transported them into the map’s fantastical world filled with map wraiths, but the viewer doesn’t see any of it. According to one movie buff, they shot the scenes, but the special effects were so bad the filmmakers opted for an awkward conversation that recapped the events instead. That’s some last-minute school project energy if I’ve ever seen it.
9. CGI in Spawn (1997)
Spawn, based on the popular comic book character, faced budgetary and scheduling challenges that impacted its CGI effects. The film relied heavily on computer-generated imagery to bring its dark and supernatural world to life. However, it was these limitations that compromised the quality of the CGI. The visual effects, which were meant to be visually stunning and immersive, ended up looking dated and unconvincing. One viewer jokes, “That army in Spawn is like four different guys copy-pasted eight million times.”
10. Wrapping Up the Story in Jurassic Park III (2001)
Jurassic Park III faced budgetary constraints that impacted its ability to deliver a fully realized conclusion. As the film approached its finale, it became evident that the production had exhausted its resources. “The movie was plagued with production issues that forced them into last-minute rewrites and ate up the budget, and the ending with the sudden appearance of the navy and “see ya later, the end!” exit was a result of this,” says one viewer. The story’s resolution felt rushed and simplified, which is why it’s the lowest rated of the franchise.
11. The Octopus Battle Scene in Popeye (1980)
It’s no secret that there were issues with production costs in the live-action Popeye film starring Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall. But as one viewer pointed out, it was glaringly obvious just by watching the movie that money had run out. They said that the film was shot in sequence and began with an elaborate custom-built village and ended “with a crummy rubber sea monster.”
12. Batman & Robin Stuck on a Buoy in Batman: The Movie (1966)
Batman: The Movie faced budgetary limitations that became evident in a humorous and memorable moment involving the iconic duo. The absurdity and campy flare of this movie that was chronically under budget only adds to its charm and is why people love its so bad-it’s-good scenes. In a scene where Batman and Robin are trying to escape danger, they find themselves stranded on a buoy in the middle of the ocean. This viewer dramatizes it better than I could:
“Batman and Robin are hopelessly magnetized to a buoy in the ocean, and the Bat-teries in their anti-torpedo magnet thing ran out. The last torpedo passes the camera, and we hear an explosion. Cut to the dynamic duo cruising away in the Batboat:
[Moments after an off-camera explosion, we see Batman and Robin speeding in their Batboat.]
Robin: Gosh, Batman. The nobility of the almost-human porpoise.
Batman: True, Robin. It was noble of that animal to hurl himself into the path of that final torpedo. He gave his life for ours.”
13. Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) Doesn’t Show Freddy in Rick’s Death Scene
A fan writes that it was obvious from Rick’s death scene that the production didn’t had run out of money. His is the only death scene in the entire film where Freddy isn’t shown. Instead, Rick is taken out by an invisible glove instead of a more elaborate elevator scene that was planned.
14. The Ending of Blood Debts (1985)
In the low-budget action film Blood Debts, the climax suffers from an evident lack of funds. As the movie built towards its final confrontation, it became apparent that the production had run out of money.
The ending, which was supposed to feature an explosive shootout and a thrilling resolution, hilariously freezes after the firing of a gun, and text pops on screen that reads, “Mark Collins, age 45, gave himself up to the authorities after the incident. He is now serving a life sentence.” This hasty, low-effort ending is so bad it’s garnered a cult following and endless videos spoofing the endings of other well-respected movies in this style.
