Margaret Simon is just eleven going on twelve when her family moves from New York City to Farbrook, New Jersey. Margaret's mother is Christian and her father is Jewish. Margaret has been raised without an affiliation to either faith, and does not practice an organized religion, although she frequently prays to God in her own words, beginning by saying, "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret." She is beginning to feel uncomfortable with her lack of a religious affiliation. For a school assignment, she chooses to study people's religious beliefs, hoping to resolve the question of her own religion in the process. Part of her study involves attending different places of worship to better understand religious practice and also to see if one of them might be right for her. She enjoys spending time with her Jewish paternal grandmother, Sylvia Simon, who loves her as she is, and hopes Margaret will embrace Judaism after taking her to her synagogue for Rosh Hashanah services.

Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.?

Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, with Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates leading the cast, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. was produced by Gracie Films with a confirmed budget of $30,000,000, placing it in the low-budget category for comedy films.

With a $30,000,000 budget, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. sits in the mid-range of studio releases. Marketing costs for a wide release at this level typically add $30–60 million, putting the break-even point near $75,000,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• A Hologram for the King (2016): Budget $30,000,000 | Gross $9,169,507 → ROI: -69% • A Lot Like Love (2005): Budget $30,000,000 | Gross $42,886,719 → ROI: 43% • Big Momma's House (2000): Budget $30,000,000 | Gross $173,959,438 → ROI: 480% • Crazy Rich Asians (2018): Budget $30,000,000 | Gross $238,539,198 → ROI: 695% • Doomsday (2008): Budget $30,000,000 | Gross $22,472,631 → ROI: -25%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ Talent Salaries & Producing Deals Established comedic talent can command $15–20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals. Comedy ensembles multiply this cost across several well-known performers.

▸ 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. Studios typically spend 50–100% of the production budget on marketing, with comedy trailers and social media campaigns being particularly expensive.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Elle Graham, Benny Safdie Key roles: Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon; Rachel McAdams as Barbara Simon; Kathy Bates as Sylvia Simon; Elle Graham as Nancy Wheeler

DIRECTOR: Kelly Fremon Craig CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tim Ives MUSIC: Hans Zimmer EDITING: Oona Flaherty, Nick Moore PRODUCTION: Gracie Films, Lionsgate FILMED IN: United States of America

Box Office Performance

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. earned $20,372,406 domestically and $1,427,594 internationally, for a worldwide total of $21,800,000. The film skewed heavily domestic (93%), suggesting strong North American appeal.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. needed approximately $75,000,000 to break even. The film fell $53,200,000 short in theatrical revenue. Ancillary streams (home media, streaming, TV) may have bridged the gap.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $21,800,000 Budget: $30,000,000 Net: $-8,200,000 ROI: -27.3%

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Unprofitable (Theatrical)

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. earned $21,800,000 against a $30,000,000 budget (-27% ROI), falling short of theatrical profitability. Ancillary revenue may have reduced the deficit.