Children of the Corn Budget
HorrorThriller1h 32mUpdated
Synopsis
A boy preacher named Isaac goes to Gatlin, Nebraska and gets all the children to murder every adult in town. A young couple on a road trip stop in Gatlin to report a murder and seek help, but the town seems deserted. They are soon trapped in Gatlin with little chance of getting out alive.
What is the budget of Children of the Corn?
"Children of the Corn," a horror released in 1984, was directed by Fritz Kiersch and stars Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton. The production budget was $800,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for horror productions of the 1980s.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a horror production like this include:
- Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup: Horror productions invest disproportionately in practical effects , prosthetic applications, animatronics, blood and gore effects, and creature suits. A single hero creature suit can cost $50,000 to 200,000.
- Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography: Creating dread through environment is essential. Abandoned locations must be secured and dressed, lighting rigs designed for shadow and tension, and sets built to enable specific camera movements and reveals.
- Sound Design & Score: Horror is arguably the most sound-dependent genre. Foley work, ambient textures, frequency manipulation, and jump-scare stingers require specialized sound designers working with unconventional techniques.
- Production: Stephen King wrote the initial screenplay which was first optioned by Maine based director Harry Wiland and producer Joseph Masefield who arranged financing from Home Box Office and 20th Century Fox until Fox pulled out of the deal leaving the project $2 million short of the needed funds and causing the rights to be repeatedly brokered to the point King couldn't actually name all the entities that held the rights.
What were the major cost factors in Children of the Corn?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Children of the Corn."
- Practical Effects: Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Atmospheric Production Design: Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Sound Design: Sound Design & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
How Does Children of the Corn's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $800,000, Children of the Corn sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- The Battle of Algiers (1966): Budget $800,000, Worldwide Gross $964,028
- The Grapes of Wrath (1940): Budget $800,000, Worldwide Gross $1,591,000
- The Night of the Hunter (1955): Budget $795,000
- Dumbo (1941): Budget $812,000, Worldwide Gross $1,600,000
- Mirror (1975): Budget $825,000, Worldwide Gross $124,367
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Children of the Corn Box Office Performance
"Children of the Corn" earned $14,568,989 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $800,000, 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 "Children of the Corn," that break-even threshold was roughly $1,600,000. With worldwide earnings of $14,568,989, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $800,000
- Worldwide Gross: $14,568,989
- Net Return: $13,768,989
- ROI: approximately 1721.1%
At 1721.1%, "Children of the Corn" earned roughly $18.21 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 3 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Children of the Corn (1984)?
The production budget was $800,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $400,000 - $640,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $1,200,000 - $1,440,000.
How much did Children of the Corn (1984) earn at the box office?
Children of the Corn grossed $14,568,989 domestic, totaling $14,568,989 worldwide.
Was Children of the Corn (1984) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $800,000 and estimated total costs of ~$2,000,000, the film earned $14,568,989 theatrically - a 1721% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Children of the Corn?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, R.G. Armstrong); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design.
How does Children of the Corn's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $800,000, Children of the Corn is classified as a ultra-low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release horror films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: The Battle of Algiers (1966, $800,000); The Grapes of Wrath (1940, $800,000); The Night of the Hunter (1955, $795,000).
Did Children of the Corn (1984) 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 Children of the Corn?
The theatrical ROI was 1721.1%, calculated as ($14,568,989 − $800,000) ÷ $800,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Children of the Corn (1984) win?
1 win & 3 nominations total.
Who directed Children of the Corn and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Fritz Kiersch, written by George Goldsmith, shot by João Fernandes, with music by Jonathan Elias, edited by Harry Keramidas.
Where was Children of the Corn filmed?
Children of the Corn was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Children of the Corn
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
