Babylon Budget

What is the budget of Babylon?

"Babylon," a drama released in 2022, was directed by Damien Chazelle and stars Diego Calva, Margot Robbie. The production budget was $78,000,000, placing it in the high-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.
• Filming & Locations: Filming was originally set to take place in California in mid-2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What were the major cost factors in Babylon?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Babylon."

• 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 Babylon's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $78,000,000, Babylon sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• A Civil Action (1998): Budget $70,000,000, Worldwide Gross $56,709,981
• 300 (2007): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $456,082,343
• A Knight's Tale (2001): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $117,487,473
• A Good Day to Die Hard (2013): Budget $92,000,000, Worldwide Gross $304,654,182
• 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001): Budget $62,000,000, Worldwide Gross $18,720,175

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

Babylon Box Office Performance

"Babylon" earned $15,351,455 domestically and $65,267,446 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $78,000,000, 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 "Babylon," that break-even threshold was roughly $156,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $65,267,446, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $78,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $65,267,446
• Net Return: −$12,732,554
• ROI: approximately -16.3%

At -16.3%, "Babylon" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Babylon Production History

Filming was originally set to take place in California in mid-2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It began on July 1, 2021, and wrapped on October 21, 2021. Shea's Castle was used for the exterior shots of the mansion in the opening party scene, and interiors were shot inside the Ace Hotel Los Angeles.

Justin Hurwitz, a frequent collaborator of Chazelle, composed the film's score. Two tracks from the score, "Call Me Manny" and "Voodoo Mama," were released digitally on November 10, 2022, the latter track being used to underscore the film's first trailer. The soundtrack album was released by Interscope Records on December 9, 2022.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 3 Oscars. 45 wins & 158 nominations total

Critical Reception

According to IndieWire and The Hollywood Reporter, as well as the opinion of Chazelle himself, response to the film was "polarized". On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Babylon holds an approval rating of 57% based on 363 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10.