The last 43 Oscar best-picture winners, ranked from lowest budget to highest

There is no special formula to win the best picture Oscar — at least when it comes to money.

Films that range from low-budget indie flicks ("Moonlight," "The Artist") to high-budget blockbusters ("Titanic," "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King") have won the Oscar for best picture throughout history.

And that's reflected in this year's nominees as well — from Christopher Nolan's $100 million war epic, "Dunkirk," to Luca Guadagnino's $4 million 1980s romantic drama "Call Me by Your Name."

Based on budget data from IMDB Pro, and then adjusted for inflation using an inflation calculator, we've ranked the last 43 best picture winners from lowest budget to highest budget.

43. "Moonlight" (2016)

Initial budget: $4 million

Adjusted for inflation: $4.13 million

42. "Rocky" (1976)

Initial budget: $960,000

Adjusted for inflation: $4.18 million

41. "Crash" (2005)

Initial budget: $6.5 million

Adjusted for inflation: $8.2 million

40. "Platoon" (1986)

Initial budget: $6 million

Adjusted for inflation: $13.5 million

39. "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989)

Initial budget: $7.5 million

Adjusted for inflation: $14.991 million

38. "Chariots of Fire" (1981)

Initial budget: $7.5 million

Adjusted for inflation: $14.997 million

37. "Annie Hall" (1977)

Initial budget: $4 million

Adjusted for inflation: $16.36 million

36. "The Artist" (2011)

Initial budget: $15 million

Adjusted for inflation: $16.5 million

35. "The King's Speech" (2010)

Initial budget: $15 million

Adjusted for inflation: $17.05 million

34. "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008)

Initial budget: $15 million

Adjusted for inflation: $17.26 million

33. "The Hurt Locker" (2009)

Initial budget: $15 million

Adjusted for inflation: $17.3 million

32. "Ordinary People" (1980)

Initial budget: $6 million

Adjusted for inflation: $18.04 million

31. "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"

Initial budget: $18 million

Adjusted for inflation: $18.84 million

30. "Terms of Endearment" (1983)

Initial budget: $8 million

Adjusted for inflation: $19.9 million

29. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975)

Initial budget: $4.4 million

Adjusted for inflation: $20.27 million

28. "Spotlight" (2015)

Initial budget: $20 million

Adjusted for inflation: $20.91 million

27. "12 Years a Slave" (2013)

Initial budget: $20 million

Adjusted for inflation: $21.28 million

26. "American Beauty" (1999)

Initial budget: $15 million

Adjusted for inflation: $22.3 million

25. "Unforgiven" (1992)

Initial budget: $14 million

Adjusted for inflation: $24.73 million

24. "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979)

Initial budget: $8 million

Adjusted for inflation: $27.31 million

23. "No Country for Old Men" (2007)

Initial budget: $25 million

Adjusted for inflation: $29.88 million

22. "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)

Initial budget: $19 million

Adjusted for inflation: $34.57 million

21. "Schindler's List" (1993)

Initial budget: $22 million

Adjusted for inflation: $37.73 million

20. "Shakespeare in Love" (1999)

Initial budget: $25 million

Adjusted for inflation: $38.01 million

19. "Million Dollar Baby" (2004)

Initial budget: $30 million

Adjusted for inflation: $39.36 million

18. "Dances with Wolves" (1990)

Initial budget: $22 million

Adjusted for inflation: $41.72 million

17. "The English Patient" (1996)

Initial budget: $27 million

Adjusted for inflation: $42.65 million

16. "Amadeus" (1984)

Initial budget: $18 million

Adjusted for inflation: $42.94 million

15. "Argo" (2012)

Initial budget: $44 million

Adjusted for inflation: $47.5 million

14. "The Last Emperor" (1987)

Initial budget: $23 million

Adjusted for inflation: $50.18 million

13. "Rain Man" (1988)

Initial budget: $25 million

Adjusted for inflation: $52.38 million

12. "Gandhi" (1982)

Initial budget: $22 million

Adjusted for inflation: $56.5 million

11. "The Deer Hunter" (1978)

Initial budget: $15 million

Adjusted for inflation: $57.02 million

10. "Chicago" (2002)

Initial budget: $45 million

Adjusted for inflation: $62 million

9. "The Godfather Part II" (1974)

Initial budget: $13 million

Adjusted for inflation: $65.36 million

8. "Out of Africa" (1985)

Initial budget: $31 million

Adjusted for inflation: $71.41 million

7. "A Beautiful Mind" (2001)

Initial budget: $58 million

Adjusted for inflation: $81.22 million

6. "Forrest Gump" (1994)

Initial budget: $55 million

Adjusted for inflation: $91.98 million

5. "The Departed" (2006)

Initial budget: $90 million

Adjusted for inflation: $110 million

4. "Braveheart" (1995)

Initial budget: $72 million

Adjusted for inflation: $117 million

3. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003)

Initial budget: $94 million

Adjusted for inflation: $126 million

2. "Gladiator" (2000)

Initial budget: $103 million

Adjusted for inflation: $148 million

1. "Titanic" (1997)

Initial budget: $200 million

Adjusted for inflation: $308 million

The last 43 Oscar best-picture winners, ranked from lowest budget to highest

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