Death at a Funeral Budget
Comedy1h 32mUpdated
Synopsis
"Death at a Funeral" (2007) is a British black comedy that revolves around the chaotic events that unfold during a family funeral. The story centers on Daniel, who is tasked with organizing his father's funeral. As family and friends gather to pay their respects, a series of unexpected and hilarious mishaps occur. Tensions rise when a mysterious guest reveals a shocking secret about the deceased, leading to a cascade of misunderstandings and comedic situations. The film expertly blends humor with poignant moments, showcasing the complexities of family dynamics and the absurdity of life and death. With a talented ensemble cast, "Death at a Funeral" delivers a unique take on grief, love, and the often unpredictable nature of family gatherings.
What is the budget of Death at a Funeral?
"Death at a Funeral," a comedy released in 2007, was directed by Neil LaBute and stars Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence. The production budget was $21,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for comedy productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a comedy production like this include:
- Talent Salaries & Producing Deals: Established comedic talent can command $15 to 20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals.
- Production & Location Filming: While comedies generally avoid the VFX costs of action films, location shooting in recognizable cities or exotic locales adds meaningful production expense.
- Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising): Comedies rely heavily on marketing to build opening-weekend momentum.
What were the major cost factors in Death at a Funeral?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Death at a Funeral."
- Talent Salaries: Talent Salaries & Producing Deals is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Production: Production & Location Filming is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Marketing: Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
How Does Death at a Funeral's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $21,000,000, Death at a Funeral sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Blockers (2018): Budget $21,000,000, Worldwide Gross $94,017,294
- Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001): Budget $21,150,000, Worldwide Gross $39,438,674
- The White Ribbon (2009): Budget $21,555,450, Worldwide Gross $11,652,157
- 12 Rounds (2009): Budget $22,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,280,326
- 12 Years a Slave (2013): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $187,000,000
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Death at a Funeral Box Office Performance
"Death at a Funeral" earned $42,739,347 domestically and $49,050,886 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $21,000,000, 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 "Death at a Funeral," that break-even threshold was roughly $42,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $49,050,886, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $21,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $49,050,886
- Net Return: $28,050,886
- ROI: approximately 133.6%
At 133.6%, "Death at a Funeral" earned roughly $2.34 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
6 nominations total
Critical Reception
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 44% of critics have given the film a positive review, based on 135 reviews, with an average rating of 5.00/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It's amusing and it assembles a talented cast, but Neil LaBute's surprisingly faithful remake of the 2007 Frank Oz dramedy ultimately falls short of the original." Another review aggregator, Metacritic, gave the film a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Death at a Funeral (2010)?
The production budget was $21,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $10,500,000 - $16,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $31,500,000 - $37,800,000.
How much did Death at a Funeral (2010) earn at the box office?
Death at a Funeral grossed $42,739,347 domestic, $6,311,539 international, totaling $49,050,886 worldwide.
Was Death at a Funeral (2010) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $49,050,886 against an estimated $52,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Death at a Funeral?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Zoe Saldaña); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns.
How does Death at a Funeral's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $21,000,000, Death at a Funeral is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Blockers (2018, $21,000,000); Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001, $21,150,000); The White Ribbon (2009, $21,555,450).
Did Death at a Funeral (2010) 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 Death at a Funeral?
The theatrical ROI was 133.6%, calculated as ($49,050,886 − $21,000,000) ÷ $21,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Death at a Funeral (2010) win?
6 nominations total.
Who directed Death at a Funeral and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Neil LaBute, written by Dean Craig, shot by Rogier Stoffers, with music by Christophe Beck, edited by Tracey Wadmore-Smith.
Where was Death at a Funeral filmed?
Death at a Funeral was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Death at a Funeral
Official Trailer
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