Contagion Budget
DramaThrillerScience Fiction1h 46mUpdated
Synopsis
Contagion follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart.
What is the budget of Contagion?
"Contagion," a drama released in 2011, was directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon. The production budget was $60,000,000, placing it in the high-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.
- Writing: Story development for Contagion coincided with Scott Z.
What were the major cost factors in Contagion?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Contagion."
- 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 Contagion's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $60,000,000, Contagion sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 15 Minutes (2001): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $56,359,980
- Almost Famous (2000): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $47,386,287
- Analyze That (2002): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $55,003,135
- Antz (1998): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $171,757,863
- Cats & Dogs (2001): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $200,687,492
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Contagion Box Office Performance
"Contagion" earned $75,658,097 domestically and $137,551,594 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $60,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Contagion," that break-even threshold was roughly $120,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $137,551,594, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $60,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $137,551,594
- Net Return: $77,551,594
- ROI: approximately 129.3%
At 129.3%, "Contagion" earned roughly $2.29 for every $1 invested in production.
Contagion Production History
Story development for Contagion coincided with Scott Z. Burns' collaboration with Steven Soderbergh in The Informant! (2009). The duo had initially planned to create a biographical film on Leni Riefenstahl, a trailblazer in German cinema during the 1930s and a figure in the rise of the Nazi Party.
In addition to directing, Soderbergh was the cinematographer of Contagion. Since he hoped for the premise to be authentic and "as realistic as possible", Soderbergh opted not to film in the studio. "There's, to me, nothing more satisfying occasionally than making someplace look like someplace else on film and having nobody know the difference." For choosing cities, Soderbergh felt that they couldn't "go anywhere where one of our characters hasn't been", since he wanted to portray an "epic", yet "intimate" scenario.
Cliff Martinez composed the film's soundtrack, which was his first big-screen score for Soderbergh since Solaris in 2002. Martinez incorporated orchestral elements, and fused them with the predominantly electronic sounds of the score. He noted that the "sound palette for Contagion came by way of combining three very different approaches Steven went through as he was cutting the film." Ultimately, Martinez used aspects of all three approaches: "I reasoned that combining them would not only be effective but would give the score a style all its own.".
Awards and Recognition
2 wins & 14 nominations total
Critical Reception
Contagion has received positive reviews by film commentators. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 85% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 278 reviews, with an average rating of 7.10/10.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Contagion cost to make?
The production budget was $60,000,000. Warner Bros. and Participant Media co-financed the ensemble pandemic thriller, with Stephen Soderbergh and Gregory Jacobs producing. The budget was modest relative to the all-star ensemble cast.
How much did Contagion earn at the box office?
Contagion grossed $75,658,097 domestically and $61,000,000 internationally, for a 2011 worldwide total of approximately $136,500,000. It opened to $22,403,000 on September 9, 2011, finishing first in its weekend.
How did Contagion perform during the 2020 COVID pandemic?
Contagion experienced a remarkable resurgence as the COVID-19 pandemic developed in early 2020. The film rose to become Warner Bros. second most-rented digital title behind only Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in March 2020, and topped the iTunes catalog rental chart for several consecutive weeks.
Who stars in Contagion?
The ensemble cast includes Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Ehle, John Hawkes, Elliott Gould, and Sanaa Lathan. The cast accepted reduced salaries to fit the disciplined budget.
Who directed Contagion?
Steven Soderbergh directed the film. Soderbergh had previously directed Traffic (2000), Erin Brockovich (2000), and the Ocean's trilogy. Contagion shared the multi-strand ensemble approach of Traffic, applied to a global pandemic rather than the drug trade.
How scientifically accurate is Contagion?
Contagion has been widely cited by epidemiologists as one of the most scientifically accurate pandemic films. Screenwriter Scott Z. Burns consulted extensively with W. Ian Lipkin of Columbia University and the World Health Organization. The fictional MEV-1 virus was modeled on Nipah virus characteristics, with the pandemic trajectory anticipating elements of the COVID-19 outbreak nearly a decade later.
Where was Contagion filmed?
Principal photography took place in Hong Kong, Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis, San Francisco, London, and Geneva. The CDC interior scenes were shot at the real Centers for Disease Control headquarters in Atlanta, with cooperation from CDC scientists during filming.
What did critics think of Contagion?
The film received largely positive reviews on initial release, with an 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 70 out of 100 score on Metacritic. Critical reappraisal during the COVID pandemic was even more favorable, with the film widely cited as prescient about institutional failures and viral misinformation.
Was Contagion profitable?
Yes. Against the $60,000,000 production budget and an estimated $50,000,000 in marketing spend, the worldwide gross of $136,500,000 produced a modest theatrical profit. The 2020 pandemic resurgence added substantial post-theatrical revenue through digital rentals and streaming.
Where can I stream Contagion?
The film is available for digital purchase and rental on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play. It has rotated through HBO Max, Netflix, and Hulu on the subscription tier, with periodic Warner Bros. catalog reactivation around health-related news cycles.
Official Trailer
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