4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days Budget

What is the budget of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days?

"4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," a drama released in 2007, was directed by Cristian Mungiu and stars Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu. The production budget was $852,510, placing it in the micro-budget range for drama productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

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

• Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
• Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
• Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
• Development: The initial idea for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days was inspired by an anecdote from Communist Romania that director Cristian Mungiu had heard.

What were the major cost factors in 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days."

• Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.

How Does 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $852,510, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Citizen Kane (1941): Budget $839,727, Worldwide Gross $23,218,000
• Woman of the Hour (2024): Budget $836,057
• Touch of Evil (1958): Budget $829,000, Worldwide Gross $2,247,500
• Casablanca (1943): Budget $878,000, Worldwide Gross $10,462,500
• Mirror (1975): Budget $825,000, Worldwide Gross $124,367

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

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days Box Office Performance

"4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" earned $1,198,208 domestically and $1,185,783 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $852,510, 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 "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," that break-even threshold was roughly $1,705,020. With worldwide earnings of $1,185,783, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $852,510
• Worldwide Gross: $1,185,783
• Net Return: $333,273
• ROI: approximately 39.1%

At 39.1%, "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days Production History

The initial idea for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days was inspired by an anecdote from Communist Romania that director Cristian Mungiu had heard. Though he had heard it from a friend 15 years prior to the film, the incident occurred five years before that, in 1987, a date that Mungiu noted in the screenplay. Mungiu, himself a decrețel (born in the time of Decree 770), wanted to create a serious film focusing on the true story, which still affected him and felt tragic more than 15 years later.

! Actor ! Role Casting took place during the autumn of 2006. Mungiu viewed auditions of many young women for the two protagonists. On initially meeting Marinca, the director could not picture her in the lead role, but was won over when she began reading the first page of the screenplay.

Filming began in October 2006, with the objective to complete it by May, so that it could be entered into the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. In several scenes, the indoor locations were so small that the camera had to be placed outside of the room. Mutu and Mungiu had previously developed a formula of lengthy takes and medium shots with the director's first feature film, Occident.

Awards and Recognition

41 wins & 59 nominations total

• Palme d'Or
• European Film Award for Best Film: Cristian Mungiu (20th European Film Awards)
• European Film Award for Best Film: Mobra Films (20th European Film Awards)
• European Film Award for Best Director: Cristian Mungiu (20th European Film Awards)
• Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film