Blacklight Budget

What is the budget of Blacklight?

"Blacklight," an action released in 2022, was directed by Mark Williams and stars Liam Neeson, Emmy Raver-Lampman. The production budget was $43,000,000, placing it in the mid-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.
• Production: Principal photography of the film started in November 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.

What were the major cost factors in Blacklight?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Blacklight."

• 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 Blacklight's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $43,000,000, Blacklight sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• 28 Days (2000): Budget $43,000,000, Worldwide Gross $62,198,945
• A Monster Calls (2016): Budget $43,000,000, Worldwide Gross $47,309,313
• Finding Forrester (2000): Budget $43,000,000, Worldwide Gross $80,100,000
• Last Night in Soho (2021): Budget $43,000,000, Worldwide Gross $22,957,625
• Copshop (2021): Budget $43,500,000, Worldwide Gross $6,807,158

The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Blacklight Box Office Performance

"Blacklight" earned $9,591,094 domestically and $15,902,207 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $43,000,000, 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 "Blacklight," that break-even threshold was roughly $86,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $15,902,207, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $43,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $15,902,207
• Net Return: −$27,097,793
• ROI: approximately -63%

At -63%, "Blacklight" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Awards and Recognition

1 win & 4 nominations total

Critical Reception

Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film a 58% positive score, with 39% saying they would definitely recommend it. Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Lacking a high concept or memorable central character, the film is a by-the-numbers actioner that coasts on its star's soulful gravitas and low-key charisma."