After more than three years, season four of The Witcher finally drops on Netflix today – and it’s back in truly epic fashion. With a new leading man and a production scale to rival any blockbuster, the fantasy juggernaut’s fourth season reportedly cost an eye-watering $27.6 million (£22 million) per episode. Across eight instalments, that’s a total of around $221 million (£175 million) – making this season one of the most expensive ever made.
As The Witcher once again pushes the boundaries of big-budget television, we’re taking a look at the other shows that have matched – or completely blown past – its colossal price tag. Cast your guesses as to who takes the top spot now…
15 – The Witcher
Creating a fantasy world doesn’t come cheap – packed full of sweeping battle sequences and intricate monster designs, The Witcher has been one of Netflix’s most ambitious productions from the get-go. With the addition of season four, it’s cost an estimated total of $720 million (£576 million) to bring Geralt’s world to life. From sprawling landscapes to lavishly detailed sets and costumes, every frame looks like it’s been pulled straight from a blockbuster movie – and the price tag proves it.
14 – Arcane
The most expensive cartoon ever made, Netflix were tasked with bringing the world of League of Legends to life in Arcane – despite only having two seasons, the show cost around $250 million (£197 million) to produce overall. The company spared no expense to detail, hiring the best animators to hand-animate each frame of the show manually, and each episode reportedly took around a year to complete. With staggering labour costs – and a big marketing budget for extras like an original soundtrack – it’s no wonder this series has a place on this list.
13 – The Morning Show
While the Apple TV+ hit, starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, might not be an obvious content for one of the priciest shows of all-time, the absence of a fantasy setting didn’t slash this show’s budget whatsoever.
Beyond the A-list salaries – its leading ladies reportedly walked away with $2 million (£1.56 million) per episode – the company poured a lot of money into sleek sets and film-level production crews. It marked their first major investment in original programming, a bold statement of intent as they entered the streaming wars. At an approximate cost of $17.5 million (£13.3 million) per episode, the show – which is airing its fourth season now – shows no signs of slowing down.
