Beasts of the Southern Wild Budget
DramaFantasy1h 33mUpdated
Synopsis
Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in 'the Bathtub', a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink’s tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe,for a time when he’s no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack,temperatures rise and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising, the aurochs coming, and Wink’s health fading, Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother.
What is the budget of Beasts of the Southern Wild?
"Beasts of the Southern Wild," a drama released in 2012, was directed by Benh Zeitlin and stars Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry. The production budget was $1,800,000, placing it in the micro-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.
- Production: The film was shot on 16mm film, and director Benh Zeitlin created the production with a small professional crew and dozens of local residents in and around Montegut, Louisiana.
What were the major cost factors in Beasts of the Southern Wild?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Beasts of the Southern Wild."
- 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 Beasts of the Southern Wild's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $1,800,000, Beasts of the Southern Wild sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Dog Day Afternoon (1975): Budget $1,800,000, Worldwide Gross $56,665,856
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964): Budget $1,800,000 , Gross $9,500,000
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): Budget $1,800,000, Worldwide Gross $57,004,513
- Carrie (1976): Budget $1,800,000, Worldwide Gross $33,800,000
- The Art of Self-Defense (2019): Budget $1,800,000, Worldwide Gross $2,400,000
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Beasts of the Southern Wild Box Office Performance
"Beasts of the Southern Wild" earned $21,107,746 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $1,800,000, 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 "Beasts of the Southern Wild," that break-even threshold was roughly $3,600,000. With worldwide earnings of $21,107,746, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $1,800,000
- Worldwide Gross: $21,107,746
- Net Return: $19,307,746
- ROI: approximately 1072.7%
At 1072.7%, "Beasts of the Southern Wild" earned roughly $11.73 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young Performer: Quvenzhané Wallis
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography: Ben Richardson
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture: Searchlight Pictures
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography
- Caméra d'Or: Benh Zeitlin
- Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize Award: Benh Zeitlin
- Grand prix du Festival de Deauville
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Critical Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 87% based on 208 reviews, with an average rating of 8.30/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Beasts of the Southern Wild is a fantastical, emotionally powerful journey and a strong case of filmmaking that values imagination over money." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 86 out of 100 based on 45 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)?
The production budget was $1,800,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $900,000 - $1,440,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $2,700,000 - $3,240,000.
How much did Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) earn at the box office?
Beasts of the Southern Wild grossed $21,107,746 worldwide.
Was Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $1,800,000 and estimated total costs of ~$4,500,000, the film earned $21,107,746 theatrically - a 1073% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Beasts of the Southern Wild?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production; international production across Canada, United States of America.
How does Beasts of the Southern Wild's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $1,800,000, Beasts of the Southern Wild is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Dog Day Afternoon (1975, $1,800,000); Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964, $1,800,000); A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, $1,800,000).
Did Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) 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 Beasts of the Southern Wild?
The theatrical ROI was 1072.7%, calculated as ($21,107,746 − $1,800,000) ÷ $1,800,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
Who directed Beasts of the Southern Wild and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Benh Zeitlin, written by Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar, shot by Ben Richardson, with music by Benh Zeitlin, Dan Romer, edited by Crockett Doob, Affonso Gonçalves.
Where was Beasts of the Southern Wild filmed?
Beasts of the Southern Wild was filmed in Canada, United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Beasts of the Southern Wild
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