Some of the greatest, most enduring Christmas movies of all time are the simplest.
A Christmas Story (1983), for example, became a holiday classic on a modest budget of just $3.3 million. Even as costs rise with advances in special effects, more modern Christmas movies like Elf (2003) got by on a $33 million budget. However, sometimes studios seek to add a bit more magic to their films.
Most recently, Red One (2024), the holiday film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Chris Evans, racked up a staggering $250 million budget thanks to its visually dazzling Christmas-action premise. Although a heftier budget doesn’t always correlate with success, the bigger budget Christmas movies almost always offer an eyeful. Use our guide to find out where to watch the biggest budget Christmas movies of all time on platforms like Apple TV+, Disney+, and more.
Spirited (2022) - $75 million
Apple TV+’s Spirited is a musical comedy offering a modern take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In the film, The Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) is determined to redeem greedy media consultant Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds), despite his fellow ghosts’ warnings that Clint is beyond hope. It’s a funny, lighthearted take on a classic story, and offers some catchy tunes. I especially enjoyed “Good Afternoon,” and was pleasantly surprised by Ferrell and Reynolds’ singing abilities.
The $75 million budget is put to good use through epic musical and dance sequences and festive costumes. Although it doesn’t depart significantly from A Christmas Carol, the story is jolly enough to get you in the Christmas spirit. If you’re eager to see another Ferrell Christmas movie after Elf and enjoy modern takes on A Christmas Carol, like Scrooged (1988), you’ll love Spirited.
The Grinch (2018) - $75 million
The Grinch is a computer-animated take on Dr. Seuss’s classic story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It follows the Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch), who forms a devious plan to steal Christmas and stop his Whoville neighbors from celebrating the bothersome holiday. The Grinch is a nice modern adaptation of the classic story, and Cumberbatch is an excellent choice to voice the grumpy character. With eye-catching computer animation and a score from Danny Elfman, it’s a well-crafted Christmas movie.
Like Spirited, it struggles to add some originality to the story. Even so, it offers lighthearted, warm, and festive vibes and is more family-friendly than How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). Meanwhile, its $75 million budget proved effective, as The Grinch is the highest-grossing Christmas movie of all time. Viewers looking for a sturdy and visually gorgeous, family-friendly Christmas movie will want to watch The Grinch.
Arthur Christmas (2011) - $100 million
Arthur Christmas is an animated Christmas movie that centers on Arthur (James McAvoy), Santa Claus’s (Jim Broadbent) youngest son, who sets out to deliver a present to a child that Santa accidentally missed. Featuring a $100 million budget and cutting-edge CGI animation, it’s an excellent choice if you enjoyed The Grinch’s visuals but are seeking a more original tale. Arthur Christmas is refreshing, festive, and funny enough that both children and adults will enjoy it.
I enjoyed how quotable the movie was and how it boasted an unexpected level of emotional depth for an animated Christmas movie. It balances its light atmosphere and heavier subject matter surprisingly well. Additionally, the imaginative take on Santa’s operation will intrigue viewers. If you’re looking for an underrated, excellent animated Christmas movie, akin to Klaus (2019), Arthur Christmas is the movie for you.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) - $123 million
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of the earliest and most expensive live-action Christmas movies, with a whopping $123 million budget. In the film, the Grinch (Jim Carrey) plots how to ruin Christmas for everyone before he meets a little girl, Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen), who might just change his heart. The film’s big budget is evident in the extensive makeup and visual effects, which bring Whoville to life in stunning detail and fully transform Carrey into the Grinch.
Carrey offers a phenomenal performance as the Grinch, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas has an element of strangeness and absurdity that will appeal to some fans. If you liked The Grinch but want a Dr. Seuss adaptation that gets a little more chaotic and daring, you’ll be intrigued by How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Rise of the Guardians (2012) - $145 million
Rise of the Guardians tells the story of winter sprite Jack Frost (Chris Pine), who fights to save the world’s Guardians, including Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), after Pitch Black (Jude Law) hatches a plan to weaken children’s belief in them. Although not strictly a Christmas movie, many viewers see it as such since it takes place during winter and features Jack Frost and Santa Claus. However, it’s unique in that it brings together all the big holiday mascots, from the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) to Santa, in an Avengers-esque crossover.
The film is creative and refreshing, featuring gorgeous animation. I thought it was a bit overstuffed, but excellent if you’re looking for a unique holiday mashup. Although the film struggled significantly at the box office and lost millions due to its hefty $145 million budget, it’s reminiscent of The Christmas Chronicles (2018) in that it’s a great film to enjoy from home around the holidays.
The Polar Express (2004) - $170 million
The Polar Express follows Christopher (Daryl Sabara and Josh Hutcherson), a young boy who is losing faith in Santa, until a magical train stops outside his home one night. The movie’s $170 million budget is evident in its dazzling visuals, which use motion-capture animation, resulting in a striking, innovative look. In addition to its meticulous, hyperrealistic animation, The Polar Express stands out for its more mature story and serious tone.
The Polar Express does away with much of the holiday cheer and offers a more intense adventure as it delves into topics of adulthood and loss of belief. Like Arthur Christmas, I feel The Polar Express is a bit underrated. Although it didn’t reach the heights of Elf and Home Alone (1990), it offers a hauntingly magical, unforgettable experience for children and adults alike.
A Christmas Carol (2009) - $200 million
A Christmas Carol is an animated retelling of Dickens’s story of the same name. It centers on Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey) as the Ghosts of Christmas take him on a transformative journey through his life. Like The Polar Express, A Christmas Carol boasts the same stunning, realistic motion-capture animation, telling the familiar story in vibrant, incredible detail. The film also shares the same lightly dark and strange premise, true to Dickens’ story.
Although A Christmas Carol has a similar vibe to The Polar Express, it lacks some of the originality. Still, the timeless tale never fails to evoke the Christmas spirit. While I prefer the 1999 film featuring Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge, I feel the 2009 A Christmas Carol is the better version for children and families to enjoy together. If you enjoyed The Polar Express and love Dickens, you’ll like A Christmas Carol.
Red One (2024) - $250 million
Red One tells the story of Callum Drift (Johnson), who enlists the black-hat hacker Jack O’Malley (Evans) to save the kidnapped Santa Claus (J. K. Simmons). With a budget of $250 million, Red One has just about everything in the way of special effects, from snowman henchmen to flying sleighs to CGI polar bears. Like Rise of the Guardians, it’s also bursting with star power, which certainly played into its massive budget.
Red One is most reminiscent of How the Grinch Stole Christmas in that it offers one wild, absurd take on the Christmas holiday. The film is original, imaginative, and weird, while still boasting some touching moments. Although it loses some of the magic due to its focus on special effects, Red One is perfect if you’re seeking an original, action-packed Christmas adventure.
