Skip to main content
Saturation
Deep Impact key art
Deep Impact movie poster

Deep Impact Budget

1998PG-13ActionDramaScience Fiction2h 1m

Updated

Budget
$75,000,000
Domestic Box Office
$140,464,664
Worldwide Box Office
$349,464,664

Synopsis

Journalist Jenny Lerner is assigned to look into the background of Secretary Alan Rittenhouse who abruptly resigned from government citing his wife's ill health. She learns from his secretary that Rittenhouse was having an affair with someone named Ellie but when she confronts him, his strange reaction leads her to reconsider her story. In fact, a comet, discovered the previous year by high school student Leo Biederman and astronomer Dr. Marcus Wolf, is on a collision course with the Earth, an Extinction Level Event. A joint US-Russian team is sent to destroy the comet but should it fail, special measures are to be put in place to secure the future of mankind. As the space mission progresses, many individuals deal with their fears and ponder their future.

What is the budget of Deep Impact?

"Deep Impact," an action released in 1998, was directed by Mimi Leder and stars Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni. The production budget was $75,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for action productions of the 1990s.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an action production like this include:

  • 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.
  • Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director): A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation.
  • 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.

What were the major cost factors in Deep Impact?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Deep Impact."

  • Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
  • Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
  • Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.

How Does Deep Impact's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $75,000,000, Deep Impact sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

  • Practical Magic (1998): Budget $75,000,000, Worldwide Gross $46,733,235
  • The Hunger Games (2012): Budget $75,000,000, Worldwide Gross $694,000,000
  • Robots (2005): Budget $75,000,000, Worldwide Gross $262,511,490
  • Sing (2016): Budget $75,000,000, Worldwide Gross $634,151,679
  • Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018): Budget $75,000,000, Worldwide Gross $395,607,854

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

Deep Impact Box Office Performance

"Deep Impact" earned $140,464,664 domestically and $349,464,664 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $75,000,000, 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 "Deep Impact," that break-even threshold was roughly $150,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $349,464,664, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

  • Production Budget: $75,000,000
  • Worldwide Gross: $349,464,664
  • Net Return: $274,464,664
  • ROI: approximately 366%

At 366%, "Deep Impact" earned roughly $4.66 for every $1 invested in production.

Awards and Recognition

5 wins & 14 nominations total

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did it cost to make Deep Impact (1998)?

The production budget was $75,000,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $37,500,000 - $60,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $112,500,000 - $135,000,000.

How much did Deep Impact (1998) earn at the box office?

Deep Impact grossed $140,464,664 domestic, $209,000,000 international, totaling $349,464,664 worldwide.

Was Deep Impact (1998) profitable?

Yes. Against a production budget of $75,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$187,500,000, the film earned $349,464,664 theatrically - a 366% ROI on production costs alone.

What were the biggest costs in producing Deep Impact?

The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood); visual effects, practical stunts, and A-list talent compensation.

How does Deep Impact's budget compare to similar action films?

At $75,000,000, Deep Impact is classified as a mid-budget production. The median budget for wide-release action films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Practical Magic (1998, $75,000,000); The Hunger Games (2012, $75,000,000); Robots (2005, $75,000,000).

Did Deep Impact (1998) 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 Deep Impact?

The theatrical ROI was 366.0%, calculated as ($349,464,664 − $75,000,000) ÷ $75,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.

What awards did Deep Impact (1998) win?

5 wins & 14 nominations total.

Who directed Deep Impact and who were the key crew members?

Directed by Mimi Leder, written by Bruce Joel Rubin, Michael Tolkin, shot by Dietrich Lohmann, with music by James Horner, edited by Paul Cichocki, David Rosenbloom.

Where was Deep Impact filmed?

Deep Impact was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Filmmakers

Deep Impact

Producers
David Brown, Richard D. Zanuck
Production Companies
Amblin Entertainment, The Zanuck/Brown Company
Director
Mimi Leder
Writers
Bruce Joel Rubin, Michael Tolkin
Casting
Allison Jones, Judith Bouley
Key Cast
Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Morgan Freeman, Maximilian Schell
Cinematographer
Dietrich Lohmann
Composer
James Horner

Official Trailer

Podcast template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Netflix Productions template
Photography template
AFI template
Short Film template
Podcast template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Netflix Productions template
Photography template
AFI template
Short Film template
Podcast template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Netflix Productions template
Photography template
AFI template
Short Film template
Post Production template
Netflix Productions template
Short Film template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Photography template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
Podcast template
New York Tax Credit template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Post Production template
Netflix Productions template
Short Film template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Photography template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
Podcast template
New York Tax Credit template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Post Production template
Netflix Productions template
Short Film template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Photography template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
Podcast template
New York Tax Credit template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
Netflix Productions template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Short Film template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
Podcast template
Photography template
Netflix Productions template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Short Film template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
Podcast template
Photography template
Netflix Productions template
Post Production template
New Jersey Tax Credit template
UK Channel 4 template
AFI template
Short Film template
Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
Podcast template
Photography template

Budget Templates

Build your own production budget

Create professional budgets with industry-standard feature film templates. Real-time collaboration, no spreadsheets.

Start Budgeting Free