Studios look high and low for projects that have huge potential, and while the biggest studios around are no strangers to making hits, even they aren’t immune from swinging and missing. The larger the budget, the bigger the risk, and some films with massive budgets go down in flames.

Sometimes, a studio will get their hands on a project with a small budget that winds up making them a fortune. It’s rare, but when it happens, film fans can’t help but spend their cash on a ticket at the box office to see what all the fuss is about. Back in the 90s, one flick with a small budget went on to gross nearly $250 million while becoming a staple of its respective genre.

Let’s take a look at the little movie that made a big profit.

Big-Budget Franchises Usually Rule The Box Office

The biggest movies that roll around each year can come in all shapes and sizes, but many of these films tend to come from major studios who have the pockets to fund fantastical films that typically revolve around a franchise. Proven commodities tend to yield high profits for studios, which is why banking on franchises can be the way to go once one gets off the ground.

A successful franchise can unlock so much for a movie studio, most notable a steady revenue stream for years on end, depending on how well things are managed. The MCU and the Fast & Furious franchises are great examples of this. These franchises basically print money at this point, which is good news for Disney and Universal, who continue to expand those franchises with each new entry.

Even when things are contentious in the fandom, most franchises still pull down loads of cash. Star Wars, for instance, is a perfect example of this. Despite the divide in the fandom with the modern trilogy, each film, save for Solo, was able to haul in over $1 billion at the box office. Reviews aside, no studio is going to complain about a film making that much money.

As great as big-budget blockbusters are for studios, every now and again, projects with smaller budgets can leave an impact on the industry and make a nice return.

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Some Smaller Films Break On Through

It’s pretty uncommon to see films cost under $1 million to make, and it’s rare that they go on to do major things at the box office or for a director’s career. Sometimes, however, the unexpected can take place, and a tiny project can put up big numbers and achieve greatness in its own way.

Back in 1979, Mad Max was made for just $300,000, which is pennies compared to the cost of many movies. It would go on to take in over $100 million while also kickstarting a classic franchise. Compare this to Mad Max: Fury Road, which cost roughly $150 million to make while netting $378 million worldwide.

Another great example of this is Paranormal Activity, which was made for $15,000. Not only was the price extremely low, but the film was shot in the span of a week! This is practically unheard of, and after making over $190 million, it became a massively profitable film for the studio.

During the 90s, many films were able to use smaller budgets to get made while becoming popular with mainstream audiences. Pulp Fiction and Clerks both pulled this off successfully in 1994, and as the decade was coming to a close, a small horror film would come along and become a classic of the decade while netting a fortune for the studio.

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‘The Blair Witch Project’ Was A Major Success

Back in 1999, The Blair Witch Project became a mainstream phenomenon when it hit theaters. The supernatural horror film was such a unique entry into the genre, and people could not stop buzzing about it when it was first released. The positive word-of-mouth spread like wildfire, and in no time, the film with a budget estimated to be between $200,000 and $500,000 was on its way to making a mint.

According to Box Office MojoThe Blair Witch Project was able to make nearly $250 million a the global box office. Considering its small budget, this was a major win for the studio, who probably did not expect this type of success when they were distrusting the project early on.

Not only was the film a success on its own, but it subsequently launched a franchise that included sequel films, video games, and even comic books. As great as all of that was, none of it was able to quite live up to what the first film achieved.

Related: The 10 Most Expensive Box Office Flops Of All Time, Ranked

The Blair Witch Project is a prime example that Hollywood doesn’t always need to shell out hundreds of millions of dollars to make a hit.

Next: How 'Rocky' Went From Small Budget To Iconic Franchise