What is the budget of Cradle Will Rock?

"Cradle Will Rock," a drama released in 1999, was directed by Tim Robbins and stars Hank Azaria, Rubén Blades. The production budget was $36,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for drama productions of the 1990s.

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: This film takes place in the 1930s during the Great Depression.

What were the major cost factors in Cradle Will Rock?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Cradle Will Rock."

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 Cradle Will Rock's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $36,000,000, Cradle Will Rock sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

1941 (1979): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $94,900,000
Two for the Money (2005): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $30,526,509
Baby Driver (2017): Budget $34,000,000, Worldwide Gross $226,945,087
Chill Factor (1999): Budget $34,000,000, Worldwide Gross $11,263,966
21 Bridges (2019): Budget $33,000,000, Worldwide Gross $49,900,000

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

Cradle Will Rock Box Office Performance

"Cradle Will Rock" earned $2,903,404 domestically and $2,900,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $36,000,000, 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 "Cradle Will Rock," that break-even threshold was roughly $72,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $2,900,000, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $36,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $2,900,000
Net Return: −$33,100,000
ROI: approximately -91.9%

At -91.9%, "Cradle Will Rock" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Awards and Recognition

5 wins & 7 nominations

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Critical Reception

Cradle Will Rock was met with mostly positive reviews. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 65%, based on 74 reviews, and an average rating of 6.3/10. The site's consensus states: "Witty and provocative." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.