All That Jazz Budget

1979

Drama2h 3m

Updated April 25, 2026

Budget

$12,000,000

Domestic Box Office

$37,823,676

Worldwide Box Office

$37,823,676

Synopsis

Joe Gideon is a Broadway director, choreographer and filmmaker, he in the process of casting the chorus and staging the dance numbers for his latest Broadway show, starring his ex-wife Audrey Paris in what is largely a vanity project for her in playing a role several years younger than her real age, and editing a film he directed on the life of stand-up comic Davis Newman. Joe's professional and personal lives are intertwined, he a chronic philanderer, having slept with and had relationships with a series of dancers in his shows, Victoria Porter, who he hired for the current show despite she not being the best dancer, in the former category, and Kate Jagger, his current girlfriend, in the latter category. That philandering has led to relationship problems, with Audrey during their marriage, and potentially now with Kate who wants a committed relationship with Joe largely in not wanting the alternative of entering the dating world again. Joe also lives a hard and fast life, he chain smoking, drinking heavily, listening to hard driving classical music and popping uppers to keep going. In addition to pressures from investors and meeting film deadlines above and beyond his own self-induced hard life, he is teetering on the brink physically and emotionally. With Kate, Audrey, and his and Audrey's teenage daughter Michelle looking over him as best they can, Joe flirts with "Angelique" in the process, he potentially succumbing to her if he doesn't listen to them or what his body is telling him.

What is the budget of All That Jazz?

"All That Jazz," a drama released in 1979, was directed by Bob Fosse and stars Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange. The production budget was $12,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for drama productions of the 1970s.

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: While trying to edit Lenny and choreograph Chicago in 1974, Fosse suffered a massive heart attack and underwent open heart surgery.

What were the major cost factors in All That Jazz?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "All That Jazz."

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 All That Jazz's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $12,000,000, All That Jazz sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

Goon (2012): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,985,158
Jobs (2013): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,100,000
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Budget $12,000,000 , Gross $71,923,560
Wolfwalkers (2020): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,310,720
Past Lives (2023): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $28,126,646

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

All That Jazz Box Office Performance

"All That Jazz" earned $37,823,676 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $12,000,000, 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 "All That Jazz," that break-even threshold was roughly $24,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $37,823,676, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

Production Budget: $12,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $37,823,676
Net Return: $25,823,676
ROI: approximately 215.2%

At 215.2%, "All That Jazz" earned roughly $3.15 for every $1 invested in production.

Awards and Recognition

Won 4 Oscars. 12 wins & 14 nominations total

Academy Award for Best Production Design: Edward Stewart (52nd Academy Awards)
Academy Award for Best Production Design: Gary J. Brink (52nd Academy Awards)
Academy Award for Best Production Design: Philip Rosenberg (52nd Academy Awards)
Academy Award for Best Production Design: Tony Walton (52nd Academy Awards)
Academy Award for Best Original Song Score: Ralph Burns (52nd Academy Awards)
Academy Award for Best Film Editing: Alan Heim (52nd Academy Awards)
Palme d'Or
Academy Award for Best Costume Design: Albert Wolsky (52nd Academy Awards)

Critical Reception

In his review in The New York Times, Vincent Canby called the film "an uproarious display of brilliance, nerve, dance, maudlin confessions, inside jokes and, especially, ego" and "an essentially funny movie that seeks to operate on too many levels at the same time... some of it makes you wince, but a lot of it is great fun... A key to the success of the production is the performance of Roy Scheider as Joe Gideon... With an actor of less weight and intensity, All That Jazz might have evaporated as we watched it. Mr. Scheider's is a presence to reckon with."

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did it cost to make All That Jazz (1979)?

The production budget was $12,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $6,000,000 - $9,600,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $18,000,000 - $21,600,000.

How much did All That Jazz (1979) earn at the box office?

All That Jazz grossed $37,823,676 domestic, totaling $37,823,676 worldwide.

Was All That Jazz (1979) profitable?

Yes. Against a production budget of $12,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$30,000,000, the film earned $37,823,676 theatrically - a 215% ROI on production costs alone.

What were the biggest costs in producing All That Jazz?

The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Ann Reinking); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.

How does All That Jazz's budget compare to similar drama films?

At $12,000,000, All That Jazz is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Goon (2012, $12,000,000); Jobs (2013, $12,000,000); 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, $12,000,000).

Did All That Jazz (1979) 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 All That Jazz?

The theatrical ROI was 215.2%, calculated as ($37,823,676 − $12,000,000) ÷ $12,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.