Breakthrough Budget
Drama1h 56mUpdated
Synopsis
When he was 14, Smith drowned in Lake Saint Louis and was dead for nearly an hour. According to reports at the time, CPR was performed 27 minutes to no avail. Then the youth's mother, Joyce Smith, entered the room, praying loudly. Suddenly, there was a pulse.
What is the budget of Breakthrough?
"Breakthrough," a drama released in 2019, was directed by Roxann Dawson and stars Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas. The production budget was $14,000,000, 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.
What were the major cost factors in Breakthrough?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Breakthrough."
- 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 Breakthrough's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $14,000,000, Breakthrough sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Beyond Skyline (2017): Budget $14,000,000, Worldwide Gross $992,181
- Red Lights (2012): Budget $14,000,000, Worldwide Gross $13,551,174
- Scream (1996): Budget $14,000,000, Worldwide Gross $173,046,663
- Perfect Days (2023): Budget $14,000,000, Worldwide Gross $24,094,016
- Brokeback Mountain (2005): Budget $14,000,000, Worldwide Gross $178,043,761
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Breakthrough Box Office Performance
"Breakthrough" earned $40,713,082 domestically and $49,200,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $14,000,000, 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 "Breakthrough," that break-even threshold was roughly $28,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $49,200,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $14,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $49,200,000
- Net Return: $35,200,000
- ROI: approximately 251.4%
At 251.4%, "Breakthrough" earned roughly $3.51 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 2 wins & 11 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Breakthrough (2019)?
The production budget was $14,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $7,000,000 - $11,200,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $21,000,000 - $25,200,000.
How much did Breakthrough (2019) earn at the box office?
Breakthrough grossed $40,713,082 domestic, $8,486,918 international, totaling $49,200,000 worldwide.
Was Breakthrough (2019) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $14,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$35,000,000, the film earned $49,200,000 theatrically - a 251% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Breakthrough?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does Breakthrough's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $14,000,000, Breakthrough 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: Beyond Skyline (2017, $14,000,000); Red Lights (2012, $14,000,000); Scream (1996, $14,000,000).
Did Breakthrough (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 Breakthrough?
The theatrical ROI was 251.4%, calculated as ($49,200,000 − $14,000,000) ÷ $14,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Breakthrough (2019) win?
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 2 wins & 11 nominations total.
Who directed Breakthrough and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Roxann Dawson, written by Grant Nieporte, shot by Zoran Popović, with music by Marcelo Zarvos, edited by Maysie Hoy.
Where was Breakthrough filmed?
Breakthrough was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Breakthrough
Official Trailer
Budget Templates
Build your own production budget
Create professional budgets with industry-standard feature film templates. Real-time collaboration, no spreadsheets.
Start Budgeting Free
