Crawl Budget
HorrorThriller1h 27mUpdated
Synopsis
Against all logic, the competitive swimmer, Haley, drives into the mouth of a furiously destructive Category 5 hurricane on a collision course with her hometown of Florida, to check in on her estranged father, Dave. There, in their weather-beaten house amid a rapidly sinking and alligator-infested town, Haley and her father find themselves trapped in the labyrinthine mess of their flooded crawl space, where a merciless pair of six-metre predators is silently stalking them. Now--as Haley and Dave are gasping for air in the claustrophobic basement--only their will to survive can help them stand a chance against the scaly adversaries' powerful jaws. Can they escape without getting eaten alive?
What is the budget of Crawl?
"Crawl," a horror released in 2019, was directed by Alexandre Aja and stars Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper. The production budget was $13,500,000, placing it in the low-budget range for horror productions of its era.
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.
What were the major cost factors in Crawl?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Crawl."
- 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 Crawl's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $13,500,000, Crawl sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Empire of Light (2022): Budget $13,500,000, Worldwide Gross $11,395,604
- Lisa Frankenstein (2024): Budget $13,400,000, Worldwide Gross $9,927,714
- I.S.S. (2024): Budget $13,800,000, Worldwide Gross $6,605,079
- Beyond Skyline (2017): Budget $14,000,000, Worldwide Gross $992,181
- Miss Sloane (2016): Budget $13,000,000, Worldwide Gross $9,101,546
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Crawl Box Office Performance
"Crawl" earned $39,014,193 domestically and $91,542,097 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $13,500,000, 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 "Crawl," that break-even threshold was roughly $27,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $91,542,097, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $13,500,000
- Worldwide Gross: $91,542,097
- Net Return: $78,042,097
- ROI: approximately 578.1%
At 578.1%, "Crawl" earned roughly $6.78 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
5 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Crawl (2019)?
The production budget was $13,500,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $6,750,000 - $10,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $20,250,000 - $24,300,000.
How much did Crawl (2019) earn at the box office?
Crawl grossed $39,014,193 domestic, $52,527,904 international, totaling $91,542,097 worldwide.
Was Crawl (2019) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $13,500,000 and estimated total costs of ~$33,750,000, the film earned $91,542,097 theatrically - a 578% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Crawl?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, Morfydd Clark); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design; international production across Serbia, United States of America.
How does Crawl's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $13,500,000, Crawl is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Empire of Light (2022, $13,500,000); Lisa Frankenstein (2024, $13,400,000); I.S.S. (2024, $13,800,000).
Did Crawl (2019) 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 Crawl?
The theatrical ROI was 578.1%, calculated as ($91,542,097 − $13,500,000) ÷ $13,500,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Crawl (2019) win?
5 nominations total.
Who directed Crawl and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Alexandre Aja, written by Michael Rasmussen, Shawn Rasmussen, shot by Maxime Alexandre, with music by Steffen Thum, Max Aruj, edited by Elliot Greenberg.
Where was Crawl filmed?
Crawl was filmed in Serbia, United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Crawl
Official Trailer
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