Cleopatra was the 1963 epic film starring Elizabeth Taylor that was the most expensive film ever made at its time.
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the film dramatized the lives of Cleopatra VII, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony. Taylor played Cleopatra, with Richard Burton as Antony and Rex Harrison as Caesar. The production became famous for its enormous sets, elaborate costumes, international locations, and repeated script and schedule changes.
Filming began in Britain but was moved to Rome’s Cinecittà studios after production difficulties. The reported production cost reached about $31 million, excluding roughly $5 million spent on the abandoned British shoot. The expense nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox, although the film became 1963’s highest-grossing movie in the United States and Canada.
A common mix-up is confusing production cost with eventual profitability: Cleopatra was extremely expensive and financially troubled during production, but it still earned substantial box-office revenue. Its cost record was later surpassed by newer productions.