The cynical and skeptical writer Mike Enslin writes books evaluating supernatural phenomena in hotels, graveyards and other haunted places, usually debunking the mystery. While writing his latest book, he travels from Los Angeles to New York to spend one night in the Dolphin Hotel's posessed room 1408, which is permanently unavailable for guests. The reluctant manager Mr. Gerald Olin objects to his request and offers an upgrade, expensive booze and finally relates the death of more than fifty guests over decades in the cursed room. However Mike threatens Mr. Olin, promising to sue the hotel, and is finally allowed to check into the room. Later in the night, he finds that guests of room 1408, once they have checked in, might never leave the room alive.

What is the budget of 1408?

"1408," a horror released in 2007, was directed by Mikael Håfström and stars John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson. The production budget was $25,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for horror productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a horror production like this include:

Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup: Horror productions invest disproportionately in practical effects , prosthetic applications, animatronics, blood and gore effects, and creature suits. A single hero creature suit can cost $50,000 to 200,000.
Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography: Creating dread through environment is essential. Abandoned locations must be secured and dressed, lighting rigs designed for shadow and tension, and sets built to enable specific camera movements and reveals.
Sound Design & Score: Horror is arguably the most sound-dependent genre. Foley work, ambient textures, frequency manipulation, and jump-scare stingers require specialized sound designers working with unconventional techniques.
Filming & Locations: According to Cusack, the Roosevelt Hotel in New York was used for some of the exterior shots of the Dolphin. The lobby scenes were filmed at the Reform Club in London.

What were the major cost factors in 1408?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "1408."

Practical Effects: Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
Atmospheric Production Design: Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
Sound Design: Sound Design & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.

How Does 1408's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $25,000,000, 1408 sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

12 Rounds (2009): Budget $22,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,280,326
12 Years a Slave (2013): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $187,000,000
127 Hours (2010): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $35,700,000

The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2000s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

1408 Box Office Performance

"1408" earned $71,985,628 domestically and $133,000,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $25,000,000, the film performed strongly at the box office.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "1408," that break-even threshold was roughly $50,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $133,000,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

Production Budget: $25,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $133,000,000
Net Return: $108,000,000
ROI: approximately 432%

At 432%, "1408" earned roughly $5.32 for every $1 invested in production.

1408 Production History

According to Cusack, the Roosevelt Hotel in New York was used for some of the exterior shots of the Dolphin. The lobby scenes were filmed at the Reform Club in London. [Filming] According to Cusack, the Roosevelt Hotel in New York was used for some of the exterior shots of the Dolphin. The lobby scenes were filmed at the Reform Club in London.

Awards and Recognition

4 wins & 12 nominations total

Critical Reception

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 1408 holds a rating of 80% based on 176 reviews, with the site's critical consensus reading: "Relying on psychological tension rather than overt violence and gore, 1408 is a genuinely creepy thriller with a strong lead performance by John Cusack." On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 64 out of 100, based on 27 reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.