Spider-Man III: Forget Costs of Stars; Studios Pay Most for FX

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Escalating special effects costs have boosted the budget of Sony's Spider-Man 3, scheduled for release on May 4, 2007, to between $250 million and $300 million, the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend, citing people close to the studio. The newspaper also said that at least three other films relying heavily on special effects will see their budgets exceed $200 million. They include 20th Century Fox's X-Men sequel ($210 million), Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($225 million) and Warner Bros.' Superman Returns ($261 million). Commented the Journal: "The price tags underscore that effects, not stars, sell big movies these days." It also noted that the skyrocketing costs have result in increased tensions between the studios, trying to keep costs down, and the effects houses.