re: #84 Dr Lizardo
A good script matters. Look at the recent critical and commercial success of Godzilla Minus One. And all on a budget of $15 million USD.
And it’s on the Oscar shortlist for Best Visual Effects to boot. The first time a Godzilla flick has been nominated for an Academy Award, to the best of my recollection.
And the movie that cleaned up at the Oscar’s last year, Everything Everywhere All at Once, had a $25M budget.