CODA Budget

What is the budget of CODA?

"CODA," a drama released in 2021, was directed by Sian Heder and stars Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin. The production budget was $10,000,000, 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.
• Casting: Marlee Matlin, an award-winning and internationally known actress, was the first person cast for the film.

What were the major cost factors in CODA?

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

• 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 CODA's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $10,000,000, CODA sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• By the Sea (2015): Budget $10,000,000, Worldwide Gross $3,727,746
• Eye for an Eye (2025): Budget $10,000,000
• Goal! (2005): Budget $10,000,000, Worldwide Gross $27,610,873
• Phantom (2013): Budget $10,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,197,759
• War of the Worlds (2025): Budget $10,000,000

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

CODA Box Office Performance

"CODA" earned $1,905,058 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $10,000,000, 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 "CODA," that break-even threshold was roughly $20,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $1,905,058, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $10,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $1,905,058
• Net Return: −$8,094,942
• ROI: approximately -80.9%

At -80.9%, "CODA" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

CODA Production History

Marlee Matlin, an award-winning and internationally known actress, was the first person cast for the film. During the development process, the film's financiers resisted casting deaf actors for the remaining deaf characters, but Matlin threatened to drop out unless deaf actors were cast, and the financiers ultimately relented. Heder described the casting as an opportunity for Matlin to play against type, her previous roles have been "'put-together' and classy characters".

The film was shot on location in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in the middle of 2019. In the film, the family lives in what WBUR's The ARTery described as a "creaky clapboard cottage [with] a yard jammed with boats, traps, and nets". During location scouting, Heder came across what she found to be the ideal house for the family home and received permission from its residents to use it as a filming location.

Marius de Vries composed the film's soundtrack and compiled and co-produced the album with Nicholai Baxter, featuring the original score and incorporated songs. Speaking on creating music for the film, which had predominantly deaf characters playing the leading roles, he called it his "biggest challenge" and added that the music should be strong to connect with the emotions. Most of the incorporated songs in the film were recorded live and sung by the lead actors Emilia Jones and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, accompanied by the CODA choir, who were students at Berklee College of Music and Gloucester High School.

Awards and Recognition

Won 3 Oscars. 69 wins & 149 nominations total

• Sundance Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic
• Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize Award
• Gotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance
• Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in an Independent Film
• Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor
• Sundance U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic
• Sundance Special Jury Prize
• Academy Award for Best Picture (94th Academy Awards)