Booksmart Budget
Comedy1h 42mUpdated
Synopsis
On the eve of their high school graduation, two academic superstars and best friends realize they should have worked less and played more. Determined not to fall short of their peers, the girls try to cram four years of fun into one night.
What is the budget of Booksmart?
"Booksmart," a comedy released in 2019, was directed by Olivia Wilde and stars Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein. The production budget was $6,000,000, 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.
What were the major cost factors in Booksmart?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Booksmart."
- 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 Booksmart's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $6,000,000, Booksmart sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- The Godfather (1972): Budget $6,000,000, Worldwide Gross $245,066,411
- Chinatown (1974): Budget $6,000,000, Worldwide Gross $30,000,000
- The Father (2020): Budget $6,000,000, Worldwide Gross $21,029,340
- I Swear (2025): Budget $6,000,000, Worldwide Gross $8,682,832
- Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022): Budget $6,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,909,209
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Booksmart Box Office Performance
"Booksmart" earned $22,680,962 domestically and $24,849,029 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $6,000,000, 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 "Booksmart," that break-even threshold was roughly $12,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $24,849,029, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $6,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $24,849,029
- Net Return: $18,849,029
- ROI: approximately 314.2%
At 314.2%, "Booksmart" earned roughly $4.14 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award29 wins & 60 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Booksmart (2019)?
The production budget was $6,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $3,000,000 - $4,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $9,000,000 - $10,800,000.
How much did Booksmart (2019) earn at the box office?
Booksmart grossed $22,680,962 domestic, $2,168,067 international, totaling $24,849,029 worldwide.
Was Booksmart (2019) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $6,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$15,000,000, the film earned $24,849,029 theatrically - a 314% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Booksmart?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns.
How does Booksmart's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $6,000,000, Booksmart is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: The Godfather (1972, $6,000,000); Chinatown (1974, $6,000,000); The Father (2020, $6,000,000).
Did Booksmart (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 Booksmart?
The theatrical ROI was 314.2%, calculated as ($24,849,029 − $6,000,000) ÷ $6,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Booksmart (2019) win?
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award29 wins & 60 nominations total.
Who directed Booksmart and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Olivia Wilde, written by Sarah Haskins, Emily Halpern, Katie Silberman, Susanna Fogel, shot by Jason McCormick, with music by Dan the Automator, Twin Shadow, edited by Jamie Gross, Brent White.
Where was Booksmart filmed?
Booksmart was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Booksmart
Official Trailer
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