Skip to main content
Saturation
Colossal key art
Colossal movie poster

Colossal Budget

2017RDramaFantasyScience Fiction1h 49m

Updated

Budget
$15,000,000
Domestic Box Office
$3,029,287
Worldwide Box Office
$3,029,287

Synopsis

A woman discovers that severe catastrophic events are somehow connected to the mental breakdown from which she's suffering.

What is the budget of Colossal?

"Colossal," a drama released in 2017, was directed by Nacho Vigalondo and stars Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis. The production budget was $15,000,000, 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: Hathaway was the first actress to sign on at a time when the project had no financial backing.

What were the major cost factors in Colossal?

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

  • 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 Colossal's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $15,000,000, Colossal sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

  • A Dangerous Method (2011): Budget $15,000,000, Worldwide Gross $27,462,041
  • Ben-Hur (1959): Budget $15,000,000, Worldwide Gross $164,000,000
  • Land of the Dead (2005): Budget $15,000,000, Worldwide Gross $47,074,133
  • Into the Wild (2007): Budget $15,000,000, Worldwide Gross $56,255,142
  • King's Ransom (2005): Budget $15,000,000, Worldwide Gross $4,139,856

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Colossal Box Office Performance

"Colossal" earned $3,029,287 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $15,000,000, 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 "Colossal," that break-even threshold was roughly $30,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $3,029,287, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

  • Production Budget: $15,000,000
  • Worldwide Gross: $3,029,287
  • Net Return: −$11,970,713
  • ROI: approximately -79.8%

At -79.8%, "Colossal" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Critical Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 82% based on 263 reviews, with an average rating of 7.17/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Colossals singular strangeness can be disorienting, but viewers who hang on may find that its genre-defying execution,and Anne Hathaway's performance,is well worth the ride." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 70 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did it cost to make Colossal (2017)?

The production budget was $15,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $7,500,000 - $12,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $22,500,000 - $27,000,000.

How much did Colossal (2017) earn at the box office?

Colossal grossed $3,029,287 domestic, totaling $3,029,287 worldwide.

Was Colossal (2017) profitable?

The film did not break even theatrically, earning $3,029,287 against an estimated $37,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.

What were the biggest costs in producing Colossal?

The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Austin Stowell); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production; international production across Canada, South Korea, Spain, United States of America.

How does Colossal's budget compare to similar drama films?

At $15,000,000, Colossal 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: A Dangerous Method (2011, $15,000,000); Ben-Hur (1959, $15,000,000); Land of the Dead (2005, $15,000,000).

Did Colossal (2017) 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 Colossal?

The theatrical ROI was -79.8%, calculated as ($3,029,287 − $15,000,000) ÷ $15,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.

Who directed Colossal and who were the key crew members?

Directed by Nacho Vigalondo, written by Nacho Vigalondo, shot by Eric Kress, with music by Bear McCreary, edited by Ben Baudhuin, Luke Doolan.

Where was Colossal filmed?

Colossal was filmed in Canada, South Korea, Spain, United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Filmmakers

Colossal

Producers
Nahikari Ipiña, Russell Levine, Zev Foreman, Nicolas Chartier, Dominic Rustam
Production Companies
Toy Fight Productions, Brightlight Pictures, Sayaka Producciones, Route One Entertainment, Voltage Pictures, Union Investment Partners, Legion M
Director
Nacho Vigalondo
Writers
Nacho Vigalondo
Casting
Maureen Webb, Colleen Bolton
Key Cast
Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Austin Stowell, Tim Blake Nelson, Dan Stevens, Hannah Cheramy
Cinematographer
Eric Kress
Composer
Bear McCreary

Official Trailer

Podcast template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Netflix Productions template
Photography template
AFI template
Short Film template
Podcast template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Netflix Productions template
Photography template
AFI template
Short Film template
Podcast template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Netflix Productions template
Photography template
AFI template
Short Film template
Post Production template
Netflix Productions template
Short Film template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Photography template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
Podcast template
New York Tax Credit template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Post Production template
Netflix Productions template
Short Film template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Photography template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
Podcast template
New York Tax Credit template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Post Production template
Netflix Productions template
Short Film template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Photography template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
Podcast template
New York Tax Credit template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Netflix Productions template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Short Film template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
Podcast template
Photography template
Netflix Productions template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Short Film template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
Podcast template
Photography template
Netflix Productions template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Short Film template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
Podcast template
Photography template

Budget Templates

Build your own production budget

Create professional budgets with industry-standard feature film templates. Real-time collaboration, no spreadsheets.

Start Budgeting Free