That is true... just goes to show you, an idea is all it takes, money has verry little to do with it.
Solaris, a perfect example. It was like... what... 4 million? Clooney accepted the role just for the heck of it (as many Hollywood stars do, if the script is bad-ass enough, hell, I'll do it for free). Think of Nicole Kidman and Dogville.
Wow... just WOW... I still get shivers from Dogville.