From the opening shot of a Jurassic Park-esque reptilian eye, you know you are in for a wild ride. As Mick "Crocodile" Dundee sits in a canoe sharpening his famous knife, a monstrous croc hides somewhere in the deep. The croc suddenly attacks, tearing Mick's boat to pieces and leaving him and mate Jacko up a tree. Life for Mick can only get easier, right? When Mick arrives at home, he discovers longtime companion Sue's newspaper-mogul father has called, and needs her help on an article at the paper's Los Angeles branch. Mick, who recognizes his importance in the modernizing bush is now no more than as a tourist attraction, agrees to join her, and together Mick, Sue and son Mikey head for Los Angeles. Here the adventure truly begins, as Mick and Jacko brave a cowboy bar where the horsemen are of a different color, and a Hollywood film party where everyone seems interested in Mick's mate Malcolm "Mal" Gibson's colorful exploits. Sue's article soon leads to a sleazy film producer, so Mick gets a job as a monkey wrangler at his studio, where his investigation uncovers some very sketchy goings-on.

Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles?

Directed by Simon Wincer, with Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, Jere Burns leading the cast, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles was produced by Bungalow Productions with a confirmed budget of $21,150,000, placing it in the low-budget category for adventure films as part of the Crocodile Dundee Collection.

At $21,150,000, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles was produced on a modest budget. Lower-budget films benefit from reduced break-even thresholds, with profitability achievable at approximately $52,875,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• Blockers (2018): Budget $21,000,000 | Gross $94,017,294 → ROI: 348% • 12 Rounds (2009): Budget $22,000,000 | Gross $17,280,326 → ROI: -21% • Before I Go to Sleep (2014): Budget $22,000,000 | Gross $17,669,776 → ROI: -20% • 12 Years a Slave (2013): Budget $20,000,000 | Gross $187,000,000 → ROI: 835% • 21 Grams (2003): Budget $20,000,000 | Gross $60,427,839 → ROI: 202%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects Action films allocate a substantial portion of their budget to choreographing and executing practical stunts, pyrotechnics, and CGI-heavy sequences. For large-scale productions, VFX alone can account for 20–30% of the total budget, with additional costs for stunt coordinators, rigging, and safety crews.

▸ Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation. Lead actors in major action franchises typically earn $10–25 million per film, with directors often receiving comparable compensation packages tied to box office performance.

▸ Production Design, Sets & Locations Action films frequently require multiple international shooting locations, large-scale set construction, vehicle acquisitions and modifications, and specialized equipment — all of which drive production costs well above those of dialogue-driven genres.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, Jere Burns, Jonathan Banks, Alec Wilson Key roles: Paul Hogan as Michael J. 'Crocodile' Dundee; Linda Kozlowski as Sue Charleton; Jere Burns as Arnan Rothman; Jonathan Banks as Milos Drubnik

DIRECTOR: Simon Wincer CINEMATOGRAPHY: David Burr MUSIC: Basil Poledouris EDITING: Terry Blythe PRODUCTION: Bungalow Productions, Silver Lion Films FILMED IN: Australia, United States of America

Box Office Performance

Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles earned $25,635,682 domestically and $13,802,992 internationally, for a worldwide total of $39,438,674. The film skewed heavily domestic (65%), suggesting strong North American appeal.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles needed approximately $52,875,000 to break even. The film fell $13,436,326 short in theatrical revenue. Ancillary streams (home media, streaming, TV) may have bridged the gap.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $39,438,674 Budget: $21,150,000 Net: $18,288,674 ROI: 86.5%

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Modestly Profitable

Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles earned $39,438,674 against a $21,150,000 budget (86% ROI). Full profitability was likely achieved through ancillary revenue streams.

INDUSTRY IMPACT

Franchise: Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles is part of the Crocodile Dundee Collection.

PRODUCTION NOTES

▸ Production

Matthew Berry, Eric Abrams and Paul Hogan had a dispute over the script.

Unlike the other two films it is shot in 1.85:1 instead of 2.39:1. It is also the first film not to involve Rimfire Films. Paramount, the distributor of the other two films, distributed the film domestically with Universal Pictures handling a few other territories for the film. It is the first film in the series to not involve Hoyts. Various independent distributors handled the film in other territories. 20th Century Fox, the foreign distributor of the first film, distributed the film in Italy.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Summary: 1 win & 2 nominations total

Additional Recognition: The film was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Remake or Sequel but lost to Planet of the Apes.

CRITICAL RECEPTION

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 11% based on reviews from 80 critics. The site's consensus reads: "A sequel as unnecessary as it is belated, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles lacks virtually all of the easygoing humor and charm that delighted fans of the original". On Metacritic, the film has a score of 37% based on reviews from 33 critics, indicating generally unfavorable reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2 out of 4 and wrote: "It may not be brilliant, but who would you rather your kids took as a role model: Crocodile Dundee, David Spade or Tom Green?", referring to the stars of contemporary theatrical releases Joe Dirt and Freddy Got Fingered, respectively. Variety called it "amiable rather than genuinely funny".