Dangerous Liaisons Budget
Updated
Synopsis
A Chinese adaptation of the French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses begins with aging socialite Mo Jieyu who finds herself circling ex-boyfriend Xie Yifan. Mo, the rich and charming widow with a taste for pleasures, still has eyes for famous womanizer Xie, who secretly burns with love for her. And yet, in his luxurious life, Xie's new interest lies in chaste humanitarian Du Fenyu, who has captured his attention and earned his desire for conquest. Mo lures Xie into a treacherous, dangerous game of hearts: win, bed, and leave Du, proving his mettle as a rogue and impossible catch. But can Xie take the honor of such a woman, without losing his own heart, as well?
What is the budget of Dangerous Liaisons?
"Dangerous Liaisons," a drama released in 2012, was directed by Hur Jin-ho and stars Jang Dong-gun, Zhang Ziyi. The production budget was $31,000,000, placing it in the mid-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.
What were the major cost factors in Dangerous Liaisons?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Dangerous Liaisons."
- 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 Dangerous Liaisons's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $31,000,000, Dangerous Liaisons sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Arachnophobia (1990): Budget $31,000,000, Worldwide Gross $53,200,000
- Arlington Road (1999): Budget $31,000,000, Worldwide Gross $41,100,000
- Birth of the Dragon (2017): Budget $31,000,000, Worldwide Gross $7,220,490
- Apocalypse Now (1979): Budget $31,500,000, Worldwide Gross $150,000,000
- Criminal (2016): Budget $31,500,000, Worldwide Gross $14,708,696
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Dangerous Liaisons Box Office Performance
"Dangerous Liaisons" earned $54,000 domestically. Against a production budget of $31,000,000, 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 "Dangerous Liaisons," that break-even threshold was roughly $62,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $54,000, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $31,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $54,000
- Net Return: −$30,946,000
- ROI: approximately -99.8%
At -99.8%, "Dangerous Liaisons" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
2 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Dangerous Liaisons (2012)?
The production budget was $31,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $15,500,000 - $24,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $46,500,000 - $55,800,000.
How much did Dangerous Liaisons (2012) earn at the box office?
Box office figures are not publicly available.
Was Dangerous Liaisons (2012) profitable?
Insufficient data for a profitability assessment.
What were the biggest costs in producing Dangerous Liaisons?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Jang Dong-gun, Zhang Ziyi, Cecilia Cheung); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production; international production across China, Singapore, South Korea.
How does Dangerous Liaisons's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $31,000,000, Dangerous Liaisons 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: Arachnophobia (1990, $31,000,000); Arlington Road (1999, $31,000,000); Birth of the Dragon (2017, $31,000,000).
Did Dangerous Liaisons (2012) 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 awards did Dangerous Liaisons (2012) win?
2 nominations total.
Who directed Dangerous Liaisons and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Hur Jin-ho, written by Yan Geling, shot by Kim Byung-seo, with music by Cho Sung-woo, edited by Moon Se-kyoung.
Where was Dangerous Liaisons filmed?
Dangerous Liaisons was filmed in China, Singapore, South Korea. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Dangerous Liaisons
Official Trailer
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