Baekdusan Budget
Updated
Synopsis
One of the biggest explosions in Korean history happens on the Mountain of Baekdu. The Korean peninsula turns into chaos at the sudden disaster, and additional explosions are expected to engulf both the South and the North. To stop the worst disaster in history, Jeon Yoo-kyeong plans an operation based on the theories of geologist Professor Kang Bong-rae, who has been studying the Baekdu Mountain explosion, and Special Forces agent Jo In-chang, who is about to be discharged from duty, and gets put in a secret mission where the fate of the North and South Korea is at stake. In-chang succeeds in making contact with Ri Joon-pyeong, North Korea's first-class resource in the armed forces holding the key to the operation. However, Joon-pyeong makes things difficult for In-chang with questionable behavior. Meanwhile in Seoul, Choi Ji-yeong struggles to survive the disaster, not knowing that In-chang was on a mission in the North. In the meantime, the final Baekdu Mountain explosion gets closer and closer…!
What is the budget of Baekdusan?
"Baekdusan," an action released in 2019, was directed by Kim Byung-seo, Lee Hae-jun and stars Lee Byung-hun, Ha Jung-woo. The production budget was $17,700,000, placing it in the low-budget range for action productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an action production like this include:
- Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects: Action films allocate a substantial portion of their budget to choreographing and executing practical stunts, pyrotechnics, and CGI-heavy sequences.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director): A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation.
- Production Design, Sets & Locations: Action films frequently require multiple international shooting locations, large-scale set construction, vehicle acquisitions and modifications, and specialized equipment , all of which drive production costs well above those of dialogue-driven genres.
- Production: Production on Ashfall ended on 21 July after five months of filming.
What were the major cost factors in Baekdusan?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Baekdusan."
- Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
- Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
How Does Baekdusan's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $17,700,000, Baekdusan sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 127 Hours (2010): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $35,700,000
- A Dog's Way Home (2019): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,643,857
- Amadeus (1984): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $90,007,557
- And So It Goes (2014): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $25,312,387
- Away We Go (2009): Budget $17,000,000, Worldwide Gross $15,779,455
The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Baekdusan Box Office Performance
"Baekdusan" earned $372,562 domestically and $61,321,941 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $17,700,000, 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 "Baekdusan," that break-even threshold was roughly $35,400,000. With worldwide earnings of $61,321,941, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $17,700,000
- Worldwide Gross: $61,321,941
- Net Return: $43,621,941
- ROI: approximately 246.5%
At 246.5%, "Baekdusan" earned roughly $3.46 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
5 wins & 8 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Ashfall (2019)?
The production budget was $17,700,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $8,850,000 - $14,160,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $26,550,000 - $31,860,000.
How much did Ashfall (2019) earn at the box office?
Ashfall grossed $372,562 domestic, $60,949,379 international, totaling $61,321,941 worldwide.
Was Ashfall (2019) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $17,700,000 and estimated total costs of ~$44,250,000, the film earned $61,321,941 theatrically - a 246% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Ashfall?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Lee Byung-hun, Ha Jung-woo, Don Lee); visual effects, practical stunts, and A-list talent compensation.
How does Ashfall's budget compare to similar action films?
At $17,700,000, Ashfall is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 127 Hours (2010, $18,000,000); A Dog's Way Home (2019, $18,000,000); Amadeus (1984, $18,000,000).
Did Ashfall (2019) 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 Ashfall?
The theatrical ROI was 246.5%, calculated as ($61,321,941 − $17,700,000) ÷ $17,700,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Ashfall (2019) win?
5 wins & 8 nominations total.
Who directed Ashfall and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Kim Byung-seo, Lee Hae-jun, written by Kim Tae-yun, Lim Joon-hyung, Kwak Jieong-duk, Lee Hae-jun, shot by Kim Ji-yong, with music by Bang Jun-seok, edited by Kim Hye-jin, Kim Jin-oh.
Where was Ashfall filmed?
Ashfall was filmed in South Korea. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Baekdusan
Official Trailer
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