An American Carol Budget
ComedyFantasy1h 22mUpdated
Synopsis
"An American Carol" is a satirical comedy that parodies the classic Charles Dickens tale, "A Christmas Carol." The film follows the story of a cynical documentary filmmaker named Michael Malone, who is a staunch critic of American values and patriotism. Malone, played by Kevin Farley, embarks on a mission to abolish the Fourth of July and promote his anti-American agenda.
However, his plans take an unexpected turn when he is visited by three spirits—representing the ghosts of American ideals—who guide him through a series of comedic and eye-opening encounters. These spirits, embodying the essence of freedom, courage, and the American spirit, challenge Malone's beliefs and force him to confront the consequences of his actions.
As he navigates through these surreal experiences, Malone begins to rediscover the importance of love for his country and the values that define it. The film blends humor with a patriotic message, ultimately leading to a heartwarming conclusion that emphasizes the significance of embracing one's heritage and the true meaning of freedom.
What is the budget of An American Carol?
"An American Carol," a comedy released in 2008, was directed by David Zucker and stars Kevin Farley, Kelsey Grammer. The production budget was $20,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for comedy productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a comedy production like this include:
- Talent Salaries & Producing Deals: Established comedic talent can command $15 to 20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals.
- Production & Location Filming: While comedies generally avoid the VFX costs of action films, location shooting in recognizable cities or exotic locales adds meaningful production expense.
- Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising): Comedies rely heavily on marketing to build opening-weekend momentum.
- Production: In February 2008, Kelsey Grammer was initially announced as the star playing a contemporary take on Scrooge. In July 2008, the film was picked up for distribution by Vivendi.
What were the major cost factors in An American Carol?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "An American Carol."
- Talent Salaries: Talent Salaries & Producing Deals is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Production: Production & Location Filming is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Marketing: Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
How Does An American Carol's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $20,000,000, An American Carol 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 comedy films in the 2000s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
An American Carol Box Office Performance
"An American Carol" earned $7,013,191 domestically and $7,000,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $20,000,000, 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 "An American Carol," that break-even threshold was roughly $40,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $7,000,000, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $20,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $7,000,000
- Net Return: −$13,000,000
- ROI: approximately -65%
At -65%, "An American Carol" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
N/A
Critical Reception
Based on 48 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, An American Carol has an 13% approval rating from critics, with an average score of 3.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "An American Carol suffers not so much from its perceived political bias, but from the fact that it simply is not very funny." On Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 20, based on 12 reviews. The film had no advance screenings for critics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make An American Carol (2008)?
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 An American Carol (2008) earn at the box office?
An American Carol grossed $7,013,191 domestic, $-13,191 international, totaling $7,000,000 worldwide.
Was An American Carol (2008) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $7,000,000 against an estimated $50,000,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing An American Carol?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Kevin Farley, Kelsey Grammer, Leslie Nielsen); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns.
How does An American Carol's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $20,000,000, An American Carol is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2000s 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 An American Carol (2008) 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 An American Carol?
The theatrical ROI was -65.0%, calculated as ($7,000,000 − $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 An American Carol (2008) win?
N/A.
Who directed An American Carol and who were the key crew members?
Directed by David Zucker, written by Myrna Sokoloff, Lewis Friedman, David Zucker, shot by Brian Baugh, with music by James L. Venable, edited by Vashi Nedomansky.
Where was An American Carol filmed?
An American Carol was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
An American Carol
Official Trailer
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