

2 Guns Budget
Updated
Synopsis
For the past 12 months, DEA agent Bobby Trench and U.S. naval intelligence officer Marcus Stigman have been reluctantly attached at the hip. But there is a big problem with their unique alliance: neither knows that the other is an undercover federal agent. Working undercover as members of a narcotics syndicate, each man distrusts his partner as much as the criminals they have both been tasked to take down. When their attempt to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel and recover millions goes haywire, Trench and Stigman are suddenly disavowed by their superiors. Now that everyone wants them in jail or in the ground, the only person they can count on is the other. Unfortunately for their pursuers, when good guys spend years pretending to be bad, they pick up a few tricks along the way.
What is the budget of 2 Guns?
"2 Guns," an action released in 2013, was directed by Baltasar Kormákur and stars Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg. The production budget was $61,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for action productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an action production like this include:
- Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects: Action films allocate a substantial portion of their budget to choreographing and executing practical stunts, pyrotechnics, and CGI-heavy sequences.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director): A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation.
- Production Design, Sets & Locations: Action films frequently require multiple international shooting locations, large-scale set construction, vehicle acquisitions and modifications, and specialized equipment , all of which drive production costs well above those of dialogue-driven genres.
- Production: The film is an adaption of the comic series of the same name by Steven Grant.
What were the major cost factors in 2 Guns?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "2 Guns."
- Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
- Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
How Does 2 Guns's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $61,000,000, 2 Guns sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 15 Minutes (2001): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $56,359,980
- 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001): Budget $62,000,000, Worldwide Gross $18,720,175
- Almost Famous (2000): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $47,386,287
- Analyze That (2002): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $55,003,135
- Antz (1998): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $171,757,863
The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
2 Guns Box Office Performance
"2 Guns" earned $75,612,460 domestically and $131,940,411 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $61,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "2 Guns," that break-even threshold was roughly $122,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $131,940,411, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $61,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $131,940,411
- Net Return: $70,940,411
- ROI: approximately 116.3%
At 116.3%, "2 Guns" earned roughly $2.16 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
3 wins total
Critical Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a approval rating based on reviews and an average score of . The site's consensus reads, "Formulaic and often jarringly violent, 2 Guns rests its old-school appeal on the interplay between its charismatic, well-matched stars." Metacritic gave a score of 55 out of 100 based on 43 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make 2 Guns (2013)?
The production budget was $61,000,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $30,500,000 - $48,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $91,500,000 - $109,800,000.
How much did 2 Guns (2013) earn at the box office?
2 Guns grossed $75,612,460 domestic, $56,327,951 international, totaling $131,940,411 worldwide.
Was 2 Guns (2013) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $131,940,411 against an estimated $152,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing 2 Guns?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton); visual effects, practical stunts, and A-list talent compensation.
How does 2 Guns's budget compare to similar action films?
At $61,000,000, 2 Guns is classified as a mid-budget production. The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 15 Minutes (2001, $60,000,000); 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001, $62,000,000); Almost Famous (2000, $60,000,000).
Did 2 Guns (2013) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What was the return on investment (ROI) for 2 Guns?
The theatrical ROI was 116.3%, calculated as ($131,940,411 − $61,000,000) ÷ $61,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did 2 Guns (2013) win?
3 wins total.
Who directed 2 Guns and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, written by Blake Masters, shot by Oliver Wood, with music by Clinton Shorter, edited by Michael Tronick.
Where was 2 Guns filmed?
2 Guns was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
2 Guns
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