A Journal for Jordan Budget

What is the budget of A Journal for Jordan?

"A Journal for Jordan," a drama released in 2021, was directed by Denzel Washington and stars Michael B. Jordan, Chanté Adams. The production budget was $25,000,000, placing it in the mid-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.
• Production: Todd Black read Dana Canedy's memoir before it was published in 2008, was impressed, and asked Sony to purchase the movie rights and Denzel Washington to produce it into a film with him.

What were the major cost factors in A Journal for Jordan?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "A Journal for Jordan."

• 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 A Journal for Jordan's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

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

• 1408 (2007): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $133,000,000
• 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
• 21 Grams (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $60,427,839
• 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $11,798,854

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

A Journal for Jordan Box Office Performance

"A Journal for Jordan" earned $6,545,174 domestically and $6,700,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $25,000,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "A Journal for Jordan," that break-even threshold was roughly $50,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $6,700,000, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $25,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $6,700,000
• Net Return: −$18,300,000
• ROI: approximately -73.2%

At -73.2%, "A Journal for Jordan" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Awards and Recognition

3 nominations total

Critical Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 39% based on 62 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "A Journal for Jordan's affecting fact-based story stumbles onscreen due to Denzel Washington's undistinguished direction and overly sentimental approach." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 based on 20 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.