Barry Lyndon Budget
DramaRomanceWarHistory3h 8mUpdated
Synopsis
In the eighteenth century, in a small village in Ireland, Redmond Barry (Ryan O'Neal) is a young farm boy in love with his cousin Nora Brady (Gay Hamilton). When Nora gets engaged to British Captain John Quin (Leonard Rossiter), Barry challenges him to a duel of pistols. He wins and escapes to Dublin, but is robbed on the road. Without an alternative, Barry joins the British Army to fight in the Seven Years War. He deserts and is forced to join the Prussian Army, where he saves the life of his Captain and becomes his protégé and spy of Irish gambler Chevalier de Balibari (Patrick Magee). He helps Chevalier and becomes his associate until he decides to marry the wealthy Lady Lyndon (Marisa Berenson). They move to England and Barry, in his obsession of nobility, dissipates her fortune and makes a dangerous and revengeful enemy.
What is the budget of Barry Lyndon?
"Barry Lyndon," a drama released in 1975, was directed by Stanley Kubrick and stars Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson. The production budget was $11,000,000, 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.
- Filming & Locations: Principal photography lasted 300 days, from spring 1973 through to early 1974, with a break for Christmas.
What were the major cost factors in Barry Lyndon?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Barry Lyndon."
- 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 Barry Lyndon's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $11,000,000, Barry Lyndon sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Forsaken (2015): Budget $11,000,000
- Alien (1979): Budget $11,000,000, Worldwide Gross $104,931,801
- Star Wars (1977): Budget $11,000,000, Worldwide Gross $775,398,007
- The Lighthouse (2019): Budget $11,000,000, Worldwide Gross $18,262,464
- Gremlins (1984): Budget $11,000,000, Worldwide Gross $153,083,102
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Barry Lyndon Box Office Performance
"Barry Lyndon" earned $20,000,000 domestically and $31,500,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $11,000,000, 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 "Barry Lyndon," that break-even threshold was roughly $22,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $31,500,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $11,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $31,500,000
- Net Return: $20,500,000
- ROI: approximately 186.4%
At 186.4%, "Barry Lyndon" earned roughly $2.86 for every $1 invested in production.
Barry Lyndon Production History
Principal photography lasted 300 days, from spring 1973 through to early 1974, with a break for Christmas. Kubrick initially wished to film the entire production near his home in Borehamwood, but Ken Adam convinced him to relocate the shoot to Ireland. Many of the exteriors were shot in Ireland, playing "itself, England, and Prussia during the Seven Years' War".
The film's period setting allowed Kubrick to indulge his penchant for using classical music, and the film score includes pieces by Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Paisiello, Mozart, and Schubert. The piece most associated with the film, however, is the main title music, Handel's Sarabande from the Keyboard suite in D minor (HWV 437). Originally for solo harpsichord, the versions for the main and end titles are performed with strings, timpani, and continuo.
Awards and Recognition
Won 4 Oscars. 18 wins & 14 nominations total
- Academy Award for Best Original Song Score: Leonard Rosenman (48th Academy Awards)
- Academy Award for Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero (48th Academy Awards)
- Academy Award for Best Costume Design: Ulla-Britt Söderlund (48th Academy Awards)
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- National Board of Review Award for Best Film
- Academy Award for Best Cinematography: John Alcott (48th Academy Awards)
- Academy Award for Best Production Design: Ken Adam (48th Academy Awards)
- Academy Award for Best Production Design: Vernon Dixon (48th Academy Awards)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Barry Lyndon (1975)?
The production budget was $11,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $5,500,000 - $8,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $16,500,000 - $19,800,000.
How much did Barry Lyndon (1975) earn at the box office?
Barry Lyndon grossed $20,000,000 domestic, $11,500,000 international, totaling $31,500,000 worldwide.
Was Barry Lyndon (1975) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $11,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$27,500,000, the film earned $31,500,000 theatrically - a 186% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Barry Lyndon?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production; international production across United Kingdom, United States of America.
How does Barry Lyndon's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $11,000,000, Barry Lyndon 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: Forsaken (2015, $11,000,000); Alien (1979, $11,000,000); Star Wars (1977, $11,000,000).
Did Barry Lyndon (1975) 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 Barry Lyndon?
The theatrical ROI was 186.4%, calculated as ($31,500,000 − $11,000,000) ÷ $11,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Barry Lyndon (1975) win?
Won 4 Oscars. 18 wins & 14 nominations total.
Who directed Barry Lyndon and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Stanley Kubrick, written by Stanley Kubrick, shot by John Alcott, with music by Leonard Rosenman, edited by Tony Lawson.
Where was Barry Lyndon filmed?
Barry Lyndon was filmed in United Kingdom, United States of America. Principal photography lasted 300 days, from spring 1973 through to early 1974, with a break for Christmas. Kubrick initially wished to film the entire production near his home in Borehamwood, but Ken Adam convinced him to relocate the shoot to Ireland. Many of the exteriors were shot in Ireland, playing "itself, England, and Prussia during the Seven Years' War". Several of the interior scenes were filmed in Powerscourt House, an 18th-century mansion in County Wicklow. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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Barry Lyndon
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