Blue Jasmine Budget
Drama1h 39mUpdated
Synopsis
After everything in her life falls to pieces, including her marriage to wealthy businessman Hal, elegant New York socialite Jasmine moves into her sister Ginger’s modest
apartment in San Francisco to try to pull herself
back together again.
Jasmine arrives in San Francisco in a fragile mental state,
her head reeling from the cocktail of anti - depressants
she's on . While still able to project her aristocratic bearing, Jasmine is emotionally precarious and lacks any practical ability to support herself. She disapproves of
Ginger’s boyfriend Chili, who she considers another “loser” like Ginger’s ex - husband Augie. Ginger, recognizing but not fully understanding her sister’s psychological instability, suggests that she pursue interior design, a career she correctly intuits that Jasmine won’t feel is beneath her. In the meantime, Jasmine begrudgingly accepts work as the receptionist in a dentist’s office, where she attracts the unwanted attentions of her boss, Dr. Flicker.
Feeling that her sister might be right about her poor taste in men, Ginger starts seeing Al, a sound engineer whom she considers as a step up from Chili. Jasmine sees a potential lifeline when she meets Dwight, a diplomat who is quickly smitten with her beauty, sophistication and style.
Jasmine’s flaw is that she derives her worth from the way she’s perceived by others, while she herself is blind to what is going around her. Jasmine earns our compassion because she is the unwitting instrument of her own downfall.
What is the budget of Blue Jasmine?
"Blue Jasmine," a drama released in 2013, was directed by Woody Allen and stars Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins. The production budget was $18,000,000, placing it in the low-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: In preparation for her role, Blanchett explained, "I did a lot of people watching.
What were the major cost factors in Blue Jasmine?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Blue Jasmine."
- 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 Blue Jasmine's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $18,000,000, Blue Jasmine sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 127 Hours (2010): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $35,700,000
- A Dog's Way Home (2019): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,643,857
- Amadeus (1984): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $90,007,557
- And So It Goes (2014): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $25,312,387
- Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004): Budget $18,000,000 , Gross $65,070,412
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Blue Jasmine Box Office Performance
"Blue Jasmine" earned $33,405,481 domestically and $99,104,804 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $18,000,000, 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 "Blue Jasmine," that break-even threshold was roughly $36,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $99,104,804, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $18,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $99,104,804
- Net Return: $81,104,804
- ROI: approximately 450.6%
At 450.6%, "Blue Jasmine" earned roughly $5.51 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
Won 1 Oscar. 56 wins & 83 nominations total
- Academy Award for Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (86th Academy Awards)
Critical Reception
Early reviews suggested the film would be rated very highly among Allen's recent offerings, and praised Blanchett's performance as one of her strongest, if not the best of her career: David Denby of The New Yorker stated that "in all, this is the strongest, most resonant movie Woody Allen has made in years". Mick LaSalle, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote that "Blanchett in Blue Jasmine is beyond brilliant, beyond analysis. This is jaw-dropping work, what we go to the movies hoping to see, and we do.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Blue Jasmine (2013)?
The production budget was $18,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $9,000,000 - $14,400,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $27,000,000 - $32,400,000.
How much did Blue Jasmine (2013) earn at the box office?
Blue Jasmine grossed $33,405,481 domestic, $65,699,323 international, totaling $99,104,804 worldwide.
Was Blue Jasmine (2013) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $18,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$45,000,000, the film earned $99,104,804 theatrically - a 451% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Blue Jasmine?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, Alec Baldwin); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does Blue Jasmine's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $18,000,000, Blue Jasmine is classified as a low-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: 127 Hours (2010, $18,000,000); A Dog's Way Home (2019, $18,000,000); Amadeus (1984, $18,000,000).
Did Blue Jasmine (2013) 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 Blue Jasmine?
The theatrical ROI was 450.6%, calculated as ($99,104,804 − $18,000,000) ÷ $18,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Blue Jasmine (2013) win?
Won 1 Oscar. 56 wins & 83 nominations total.
Who directed Blue Jasmine and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Woody Allen, written by Woody Allen, shot by Javier Aguirresarobe, edited by Alisa Lepselter.
Where was Blue Jasmine filmed?
Blue Jasmine was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Blue Jasmine
Official Trailer
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