Elizabeth Taylor's portrayal of Cleopatra in the 1963 epic broke movie records primarily through unprecedented financial scale and the intense, scandal-driven global publicity surrounding its production.

Unprecedented Financial Scale

The film shattered production cost records, becoming the most expensive ever made at that time. Key figures:

• Record-breaking budget: Initially budgeted at $2 million, costs ballooned to a staggering $44 million (equivalent to roughly $440+ million today) due to extensive delays, script rewrites, relocation from London to Rome, elaborate sets/costumes, and production mismanagement.
• Historic star salary: Taylor secured an unprecedented $1 million guaranteed salary plus significant backend profits and perks, making her the highest-paid actor in history at that moment. Her total compensation reached over $7 million.
• Massive marketing spend: Twentieth Century Fox invested heavily in global promotional campaigns befitting its "event movie" status.

Global Media Frenzy & Scandal

The production became a global tabloid sensation:

• The Taylor-Burton affair: Taylor's highly publicized extramarital affair with co-star Richard Burton during filming dominated global headlines for months, generating immense public curiosity far beyond typical movie buzz.
• Endless production woes: Relocation, director changes, Taylor's near-fatal illness, cost overruns, and delays were constantly reported, keeping the film in the public eye for years.
• Cultural phenomenon: "Cleopatra," Taylor, and Burton became ubiquitous topics in popular culture, transforming the movie's release into a must-see global event.

Initial Box Office Performance

This combination drove extraordinary audience turnout:

• Opening records: It set numerous opening weekend and initial run records worldwide.
• High ticket prices: Theaters charged premium prices for the roadshow engagement (over 4 hours long with an intermission).
• Significant gross revenue: Its initial worldwide gross of $57.7 million made it the highest-grossing film of 1963. By the end of 1966, it had grossed around $38 million US rentals ($260 million total worldwide box office).

Caveat & Legacy

Despite the record-breaking revenue:

• Not an immediate profit: The colossal $44 million cost meant it didn't recoup its expenses until re-releases decades later. While the revenue was record-breaking, the profitability was not achieved initially.
• Changed Hollywood: Its financial near-ruin of Fox marked the end of the traditional studio era's big-budget historical epics and prompted studios to seek greater cost control and different financing models.

The confluence of its astronomical cost, Taylor's star power amplified by scandal, relentless media coverage, and major studio promotion created a unique cultural event that propelled it to break existing box office revenue records upon release, despite its ultimate failure to be immediately profitable.