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Hollywood's been operating since 1908, and today, it's the center of the US film industry. The most famous film studios, Columbia Pictures, Disney, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and Universal Pictures, were founded here. As a result, the world has seen many notable and worthwhile movies of all time.

If you were wondering, what are the most expensive movies shot in Hollywood this year, this list is for you.

Black Widow - Jul 9 ($183,385,207)

Part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this action movie made a sensation mostly thanks to Scarlett Johansson and Florene Pugh starring. It's been delayed three times due to the COVID restrictions but finally released in 2021 in theatres and online simultaneously. By the way, Johansson sued Disney+ for releasing the movie on the platform, while it was supposed to be released in theatres only. Black Widow tells the story of Natasha Romanoff, who tackles the dangerous conspiracy connected to her past. This action movie got positive reviews from the critics' side and fans.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Sep 3 ($176,864,306)

One more action movie from the Marvel universe that faced a colossal success lately. Released in theatres only, it's made a $140 million global opening within the first 10 days of its announcement. The movie also casts actors of Asian origin, which seems attractive to its Asian fans.

F9: The Fast Saga - Jun 25 ($172,970,725)

Finally, not a Marvel movie is on the list. Part of the Fast & Furious franchise, F9: The Fast Saga stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and a famous rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. It was supposed to be released in 2019 but was delayed due to the planned release of other movies, Hobbs & Shaw (2019), No Time to Die (2021), and COVID, obviously. The film got mixed reviews because of unrealistic action scenes but a fun atmosphere.

A Quiet Place: Part II - May 28 ($160,072,261)

For those who like to rattle ones' nerves, this movie is worth watching. The film was distributed by Paramount Pictures, and it got positive reviews. Its ratings are 91% in RottenTomatoes and 7.3 out of 10 in imbd.com. Emily Blunt, a starring actress, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress category; the film director, John Krasinski, was nominated for Best Filmmaker and Best Screenplay categories in the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards. In addition, Cillian Murphy won the Best Supporting Actor category, and Millicent Simmonds won as the Best Actress.

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Jungle Cruise - Jul 30 ($112,571,412)

One more movie with Emily Blunt starring together with Dwayne Johnson, Édgar Ramírez, and Jack Whitehall. It's an adventure movie based on Walt Disney's The Jungle Cruise, an amusement riverboat attraction one can find at all Disney-themed parks worldwide. Jungle Cruise is one of the most expensive movies in cinematography, having $200 million in budget. It's been delayed as well and featured in theatres and online simultaneously.

Free Guy - Aug 13 ($108,462,465)

A science-fiction action-comedy starring Ryan Reynolds has a pretty unusual plot. A bank teller discovers that he's a non-player character in an open-world video game who wants to save himself and his friends from a possible deletion by the game's creator. No wonder that the movie got positive reviews compared to films and video games, like Cybepank 2077, The Matrix, GTA, and Fortnite.

Godzilla vs. Kong - Mar 31 ($100,563,133)

An American monster film, which is the fourth part of the MonsterVerse franchise. It stars the Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown, and Alexander Skarsgård, a Swedish actor, starring in the HBO Big Little Lies series (2017-2019). The Godzilla vs. Kong movie reached a streaming heat in the HBO Max platform - it became the most successful launch item. However, it was overtaken by Mortal Kombat.

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Cruella - May 28 ($86,103,234)

A Disney crime comedy based on the evil character, Cruella de Vil, from The Hundred and One Dalmatians novel (1956). It's been praised by critics for its authentic visual style, costume design, and soundtrack. Cruella was featured in theatres and online simultaneously, and the leading role was played by Emma Stone.

Space Jam: A New Legacy - Jul 16 ($70,261,371)

The Looney Tunes characters are never sleeping. This time, they returned in the Space Jam: A New Legacy movie. The starring actors are a famous basketball player, LeBron James, and Zendaya, as a voice actress. Despite the well-known animated heroes, the film was criticized for its product placement.

For instance, Vox's critic, Alissa Wilkinson, wrote, "Space Jam: A New Legacy is an oddly oblivious movie, the kind of studio film that seems halfway aware that it's sort of critiquing a problem its existence also exemplifies."

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - Jun 4 ($65,565,074)

This supernatural horror film is part of the Conjuring franchise, which tells the demonic experience of American paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are starring in the whole franchise. Interestingly, all movies from the franchise tell stories that are based on true events. Yet, the film got mixed critics; it's weaker than the previous parts of the franchise. However, Wilson's and Farmiga's performance is noted as brilliant.

Sadly, most movies that made vast amounts of money are not the sharpest pencil in the box. However, there are no totally negative reviews, which simply means that tastes differ.

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Sources: The-numbers.com, Boxofficemojo.com, Rottentomatoes.com,