Black Adam Budget
ActionAdventureScience Fiction2h 5mUpdated
Synopsis
Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods—and imprisoned just as quickly—Black Adam is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.
What is the budget of Black Adam?
"Black Adam," an action released in 2022, was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and stars Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge. The production budget was $200,000,000, placing it in the blockbuster 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.
- Pre-Production: Johnson stated in mid-April 2020 that filming had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they were now planning to begin production in August or September of that year.
How Does Black Adam's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $200,000,000, Black Adam sits in the blockbuster range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 2012 (2009): Budget $200,000,000, Worldwide Gross $791,217,826
- Alice in Wonderland (2010): Budget $200,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,025,467,110
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023): Budget $200,000,000 , Gross $476,071,180
- Argylle (2024): Budget $200,000,000, Worldwide Gross $96,221,061
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023): Budget $205,000,000, Worldwide Gross $440,181,226
The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Black Adam Box Office Performance
"Black Adam" earned $168,152,111 domestically and $393,452,111 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $200,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $200,000,000
- Estimated Prints & Advertising (P&A): approximately $175,000,000
- Total Estimated Investment: approximately $375,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $393,452,111
- Net Return: approximately +$193,452,111
- ROI: approximately +97%
At approximately +97%, Black Adam returned roughly $1.97 for every $1 of production budget invested during its theatrical run.
At 96.7%, "Black Adam" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.
Black Adam Production History
Principal photography began on April 10, 2021, at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, [Filming] Principal photography began on April 10, 2021, at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia,
Lorne Balfe, who previously wrote additional music for DC's The Dark Knight Trilogy and composed the music for The Lego Batman Movie (2017), composed the score for the film. Black Adam and the Justice Society's themes were released by WaterTower Music as singles on September 30 and October 5, 2022, respectively, and the full soundtrack was released on October 21. A rendition of John Williams' Superman (1978) theme is played during the mid-credits scene, which Cavill said was selected over Hans Zimmer's Man of Steel (2013) theme because it was more recognizable to audiences..
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 12 nominations total
Critical Reception
Black Adam is described as having negative reviews, with J. Kim Murphy of Variety noting that critics generally found the film to be "repetitive and anti-entertaining". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 41 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Black Adam (2022) cost to make?
Black Adam's production budget was initially greenlit at $190,000,000 but ballooned to an estimated $260,000,000 due to extensive reshoots conducted from May through early June 2022. Various reports place the final cost between $190,000,000 and $260,000,000.
How much did Black Adam (2022) make at the box office?
Black Adam earned $168,200,000 domestically and $225,100,000 internationally for a worldwide total of $393,500,000. Despite Dwayne Johnson's star power, the film fell short of the approximately $600,000,000 needed to break even.
Was Black Adam (2022) profitable?
Black Adam's profitability is disputed. Variety estimated theatrical losses of $50,000,000 to $100,000,000. However, Deadline Hollywood projected a modest profit of $52,000,000 to $72,000,000 when including ancillary revenues from home media and streaming. Multiple outlets labeled it a box office bomb.
What were the biggest costs in the Black Adam (2022) budget?
The largest expenses included Dwayne Johnson's salary of $22,500,000, extensive reshoots that inflated the budget by tens of millions, motion capture work for Pierce Brosnan's Doctor Fate sequences, visual effects for the JSA action sequences, and Henry Cavill's mid-credits Superman cameo (which cost $250,000).
How does the Black Adam (2022) budget compare to similar films?
At $190,000,000 to $260,000,000, Black Adam's budget exceeded comparable DC Extended Universe films like Shazam! ($100,000,000) and The Suicide Squad ($185,000,000). It also outspent many MCU entries while generating considerably lower box office returns.
Did Black Adam (2022) go over budget?
Yes. Black Adam significantly exceeded its initial $190,000,000 budget, with the final cost reaching an estimated $260,000,000. The overruns were primarily caused by extensive reshoots conducted from May through early June 2022, which added scenes and reworked significant portions of the film.
What is the ROI of Black Adam (2022)?
Using the lower $190,000,000 budget estimate, the surface ROI is ($393,500,000 minus $190,000,000) divided by $190,000,000, equaling 107%. Using the $260,000,000 figure, it drops to 51%. After marketing costs and theater splits, the film likely lost between $50,000,000 and $100,000,000 theatrically.
Did Black Adam (2022) win any awards?
Black Adam received an Irish Film and Television Award nomination for Pierce Brosnan (Best Supporting Actor), a Black Reel Award nomination for Quintessa Swindell, Visual Effects Society Award nominations, and recognition for Lorne Balfe's score at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards.
Who directed Black Adam (2022)?
Jaume Collet-Serra directed Black Adam. The Spanish filmmaker was previously known for directing action thrillers starring Liam Neeson, including Non-Stop (2014) and The Commuter (2018), as well as Disney's Jungle Cruise (2021) with Dwayne Johnson.
Where was Black Adam (2022) filmed?
Black Adam was filmed primarily at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional filming in Los Angeles. Principal photography ran from April 10 to August 15, 2021, followed by reshoots from May through early June 2022.
Filmmakers
Black Adam
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