12 Comedy Films That Earned 30 Times Their Production Budget at the Box Office

      Here are 11 highly profitable comedy films that achieved at least 30 times their production budget at the box office, or even more.

      While these aren't the all-time highest-grossing comedies, they represent some of the films with the best returns on investment, transforming modest budgets into remarkable profits.

      Let’s take a look.

      **Pink Flamingos (1972)**

      Credit: New Line Cinema

      John Waters' second film is a wildly entertaining cult classic that embraces all things lowbrow and led to more of Waters' cult favorites.

      Produced for just $12,000, it grossed at least $2 million, with some estimates suggesting it earned significantly more.

      This film was succeeded by two others in what Waters refers to as his Trash Trilogy: 1974’s *Female Trouble* and 1977’s *Desperate Living*.

      **American Graffiti (1973)**

      Universal

      George Lucas’ *American Graffiti* was made for only $770,000 and went on to earn $140 million, exceeding 100 times its budget, while also receiving five Oscar nominations.

      Tapping into viewers' nostalgia and benefiting from the youthful charm of actors Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, and Cindy Williams — along with one of the greatest soundtracks in film history — the movie reflected Lucas’ teenage experiences racing cars in Modesto, California.

      The triumph of *American Graffiti* paved the way for Lucas to create another well-known film.

      **Blazing Saddles (1974)**

      Credit: Warner Bros.

      Mel Brooks’ iconic Western parody was released during a lull in his career. He wrote in his 2020 memoir, *All About Me!*, that the two films preceding *Blazing Saddles*, *The Producers* and *The Twelve Chairs*, “together didn’t make me enough money to buy a new car.”

      However, post-1974, Brooks could afford plenty of cars. *Blazing Saddles* not only grossed approximately $120 million on a budget of under $3 million but Brooks also found success that same year with *Young Frankenstein*, which was nearly as successful as *Blazing Saddles*.

      *Blazing Saddles* was not only a box office triumph but also a creative milestone, as the AFI ranked it as the sixth-funniest comedy of all time.

      **The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)**

      Credit: 20th Century Fox

      Produced for around $1.4 million and based on Richard O’Brien’s successful stage musical, *The Rocky Horror Picture Show* performed poorly upon its initial release.

      However, a 20th Century Fox executive proposed a novel idea — why not showcase this eccentric musical horror comedy during midnight screenings? As a result, *The Rocky Horror Picture Show* became the longest-running theatrical release ever, as noted by Richard O’Brien's son, Linus O’Brien, in the fantastic new documentary *Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror*.

      Celebrating its 50th anniversary last month, *The Rocky Horror Picture Show* is still shown worldwide and has grossed over $166 million and continues to grow.

      **Airplane! (1980)**

      Credit: Paramount

      Following the enormous success of *The Kentucky Fried Movie*, which they penned, the comedy trio of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker insisted on directing their next project — resulting in one of the funniest films ever made (AFI listed it 10th among the funniest comedies, right after *Blazing Saddles*).

      *Airplane!* was created for under $4 million and went on to earn $171 million, including during re-releases.

      The ZAZ team demonstrated their ability to produce hits, eventually leading to the development of the *Naked Gun* franchise and more successes. Their contributions include some of the most profitable and highly regarded comedies, with few rivals in their output.

      **Porky’s (1982)**

      Credit: 20th Century Studios

      As one of those '80s comedies with little regard for who it might offend, *Porky’s* became a huge success for director Bob Clark, whose varied filmography also features *Black Christmas*, *A Christmas Story*, and *Baby Geniuses*.

      Produced for under $5 million, *Porky’s* made an impressive $160 million at the box office and was the sixth-highest-grossing film of 1982.

      It’s no wonder it spawned two sequels.

      **Crocodile Dundee (1986)**

      Credit: Paramount Pictures

      Before the phenomenal success of *Crocodile Dundee*, star and co-writer Paul Hogan was largely unknown to American audiences who hadn’t seen his Benny Hill-style *The Paul Hogan Show*.

      Yet in 1986, Hogan was everywhere thanks to his budget-friendly tale of an Outback adventurer who finds himself in New York City, delivering