A Simple Favor Budget
ThrillerComedyMystery1h 57mUpdated
Synopsis
A mommy vlogger seeks to uncover the truth behind her best friend Emily’s sudden disappearance from their small town. Stephanie is joined by Emily’s husband Sean in this thriller filled with twists and betrayals, secrets and revelations, love and loyalty, murder and revenge.
What is the budget of A Simple Favor?
"A Simple Favor," a thriller released in 2018, was directed by Paul Feig and stars Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively. The production budget was $20,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for thriller productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a thriller production like this include:
- Talent & Director Compensation: Thrillers depend on compelling lead performances to sustain tension, making cast compensation a primary budget concern. Directors with proven thriller credentials command premium fees.
- Cinematography & Location Photography: Thriller aesthetics demand specific visual languages , surveillance-style photography, claustrophobic framing, or expansive location work across multiple cities or countries.
- Editorial & Sound Post-Production: Precision editing , controlling information flow, building suspense through pacing, and orchestrating reveals , requires extended post-production schedules.
- Pre-Production: In June 2017, it was announced that A Simple Favor would be extricated from 20th Century Fox and instead be distributed by Lionsgate.
What were the major cost factors in A Simple Favor?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "A Simple Favor."
- Talent: Talent & Director Compensation is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.
- Cinematography: Cinematography & Location Photography is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.
- Editorial: Editorial & Sound Post-Production is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.
How Does A Simple Favor's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $20,000,000, A Simple Favor sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 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
- A Guy Thing (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,400,000
- A Most Violent Year (2014): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $12,007,070
The median budget for wide-release thriller films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
A Simple Favor Box Office Performance
"A Simple Favor" earned $53,548,586 domestically and $97,644,617 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $20,000,000, 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 "A Simple Favor," that break-even threshold was roughly $40,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $97,644,617, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $20,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $97,644,617
- Net Return: $77,644,617
- ROI: approximately 388.2%
At 388.2%, "A Simple Favor" earned roughly $4.88 for every $1 invested in production.
A Simple Favor Production History
A Simple Favor commenced principal photography on August 14, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was shot in the Univisium 2.00:1 aspect ratio on Panavision Millennium DXL 8K cameras. [Filming] A Simple Favor commenced principal photography on August 14, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was shot in the Univisium 2.00:1 aspect ratio on Panavision Millennium DXL 8K cameras.
Awards and Recognition
3 wins & 10 nominations total
Critical Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, A Simple Favor holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critics consensus reads, "Twisty, twisted, and above all simply fun, A Simple Favor casts a stylish mommy noir spell strengthened by potent performances from Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make A Simple Favor (2018)?
The production budget was $20,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $10,000,000 - $16,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $30,000,000 - $36,000,000.
How much did A Simple Favor (2018) earn at the box office?
A Simple Favor grossed $53,548,586 domestic, $44,096,031 international, totaling $97,644,617 worldwide.
Was A Simple Favor (2018) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $20,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$50,000,000, the film earned $97,644,617 theatrically - a 388% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing A Simple Favor?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding); talent compensation, location cinematography, and tension-driven editorial; international production across Canada, United States of America.
How does A Simple Favor's budget compare to similar thriller films?
At $20,000,000, A Simple Favor is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release thriller films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 12 Years a Slave (2013, $20,000,000); 21 Grams (2003, $20,000,000); 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994, $20,000,000).
Did A Simple Favor (2018) 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 A Simple Favor?
The theatrical ROI was 388.2%, calculated as ($97,644,617 − $20,000,000) ÷ $20,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did A Simple Favor (2018) win?
3 wins & 10 nominations total.
Who directed A Simple Favor and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Paul Feig, written by Paul Feig, Jessica Sharzer, shot by John Schwartzman, with music by Theodore Shapiro, edited by Brent White.
Where was A Simple Favor filmed?
A Simple Favor was filmed in Canada, United States of America. A Simple Favor commenced principal photography on August 14, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was shot in the Univisium 2.00:1 aspect ratio on Panavision Millennium DXL 8K cameras. [Filming] A Simple Favor commenced principal photography on August 14, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
A Simple Favor
Official Trailer
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