BlackBerry Budget
ComedyDramaHistory2hUpdated
Synopsis
The story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone.
What is the budget of BlackBerry?
"BlackBerry," a comedy released in 2023, was directed by Matt Johnson and stars Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton. The production budget was $5,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for comedy productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a comedy production like this include:
- Talent Salaries & Producing Deals: Established comedic talent can command $15 to 20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals.
- Production & Location Filming: While comedies generally avoid the VFX costs of action films, location shooting in recognizable cities or exotic locales adds meaningful production expense.
- Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising): Comedies rely heavily on marketing to build opening-weekend momentum.
- Production: Principal photography took place from June to August 2022 in the Ontario cities of Hamilton, London, Burlington and Waterloo.
What were the major cost factors in BlackBerry?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "BlackBerry."
- Talent Salaries: Talent Salaries & Producing Deals is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Production: Production & Location Filming is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Marketing: Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
How Does BlackBerry's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $5,000,000, BlackBerry sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Come and See (1985): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $20,929,648
- Cinema Paradiso (1988): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $35,962,062
- Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985): Budget $5,000,000 , Gross $502,758
- Once Upon a Time in the West (1968): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $5,380,118
- A Separation (2011): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $24,426,169
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
BlackBerry Box Office Performance
"BlackBerry" earned $1,476,597 domestically and $2,600,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $5,000,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "BlackBerry," that break-even threshold was roughly $10,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $2,600,000, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $5,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $2,600,000
- Net Return: −$2,400,000
- ROI: approximately -48%
At -48%, "BlackBerry" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
28 wins & 31 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make BlackBerry (2023)?
The production budget was $5,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $2,500,000 - $4,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $7,500,000 - $9,000,000.
How much did BlackBerry (2023) earn at the box office?
BlackBerry grossed $1,476,597 domestic, $1,123,403 international, totaling $2,600,000 worldwide.
Was BlackBerry (2023) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $2,600,000 against an estimated $12,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing BlackBerry?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns; international production across Canada, United States of America, Finland.
How does BlackBerry's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $5,000,000, BlackBerry is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2020s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Come and See (1985, $5,000,000); Cinema Paradiso (1988, $5,000,000); Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985, $5,000,000).
Did BlackBerry (2023) 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 BlackBerry?
The theatrical ROI was -48.0%, calculated as ($2,600,000 − $5,000,000) ÷ $5,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did BlackBerry (2023) win?
28 wins & 31 nominations total.
Who directed BlackBerry and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Matt Johnson, written by Matt Johnson, Matthew Miller, shot by Jared Raab, with music by Jay McCarrol, edited by Curt Lobb.
Where was BlackBerry filmed?
BlackBerry was filmed in Canada, United States of America, Finland. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
BlackBerry
Official Trailer
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