Black and Blue Budget
ActionThrillerCrime1h 49mUpdated
Synopsis
'Black and Blue' is an action thriller about a rookie cop (Naomie Harris) who inadvertently captures the murder of a young drug dealer on her body cam. After realizing that the murder was committed by corrupt cops, she teams up with the one person from her community who is willing to help her (Tyrese Gibson) as she tries to escape both the criminals out for revenge and the police who are desperate to destroy the incriminating footage.
What is the budget of Black and Blue?
"Black and Blue," an action released in 2019, was directed by Deon Taylor and stars Naomie Harris, Tyrese Gibson. The production budget was $12,000,000, 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.
What were the major cost factors in Black and Blue?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Black and Blue."
- 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 Black and Blue's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $12,000,000, Black and Blue sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Goon (2012): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,985,158
- Jobs (2013): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,100,000
- All That Jazz (1979): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $37,823,676
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Budget $12,000,000 , Gross $71,923,560
- Wolfwalkers (2020): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,310,720
The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Black and Blue Box Office Performance
"Black and Blue" earned $22,055,313 domestically and $22,741,061 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $12,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Black and Blue," that break-even threshold was roughly $24,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $22,741,061, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $12,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $22,741,061
- Net Return: $10,741,061
- ROI: approximately 89.5%
At 89.5%, "Black and Blue" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 2 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Black and Blue (2019)?
The production budget was $12,000,000, 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 $6,000,000 - $9,600,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $18,000,000 - $21,600,000.
How much did Black and Blue (2019) earn at the box office?
Black and Blue grossed $22,055,313 domestic, $685,748 international, totaling $22,741,061 worldwide.
Was Black and Blue (2019) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $22,741,061 against an estimated $30,000,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Black and Blue?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Naomie Harris, Tyrese Gibson, Frank Grillo); visual effects, practical stunts, and A-list talent compensation.
How does Black and Blue's budget compare to similar action films?
At $12,000,000, Black and Blue 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: Goon (2012, $12,000,000); Jobs (2013, $12,000,000); All That Jazz (1979, $12,000,000).
Did Black and Blue (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 Black and Blue?
The theatrical ROI was 89.5%, calculated as ($22,741,061 − $12,000,000) ÷ $12,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Black and Blue (2019) win?
1 win & 2 nominations total.
Who directed Black and Blue and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Deon Taylor, written by Peter A. Dowling, shot by Dante Spinotti, with music by Geoff Zanelli, edited by Peck Prior.
Where was Black and Blue filmed?
Black and Blue was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Black and Blue
Official Trailer
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