Dicks The Musical Budget
MusicComedy1h 26mUpdated
Synopsis
A pair of business rivals discover that they're identical twins and decide to swap places in an attempt to trick their divorced parents to get back together.
What is the budget of Dicks The Musical?
"Dicks The Musical," a music released in 2023, was directed by Larry Charles and stars Josh Sharp, Aaron Jackson. The production budget was $8,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for music productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a music 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.
- Casting: On February 17, 2022, Sharp and Jackson were set to reprise their roles and Megan Thee Stallion, Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, and Bowen Yang joined the cast.
What were the major cost factors in Dicks The Musical?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Dicks The Musical."
- Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in music productions of this scale.
- Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in music productions of this scale.
- Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in music productions of this scale.
How Does Dicks The Musical's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $8,000,000, Dicks The Musical sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Mutant Chronicles (2008): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $2,131,057
- I'm Still Here (2024): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $36,361,572
- Pulp Fiction (1994): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $213,928,762
- Little Miss Sunshine (2006): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $100,523,351
- My Life as a Zucchini (2016): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $5,873,256
The median budget for wide-release music films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Dicks The Musical Box Office Performance
"Dicks The Musical" earned $1,453,012 domestically and $1,472,114 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $8,000,000, 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 "Dicks The Musical," that break-even threshold was roughly $16,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $1,472,114, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $8,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $1,472,114
- Net Return: −$6,527,886
- ROI: approximately -81.6%
At -81.6%, "Dicks The Musical" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Dicks The Musical Production History
On February 17, 2022, Sharp and Jackson were set to reprise their roles and Megan Thee Stallion, Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, and Bowen Yang joined the cast.
In February 2022, Sharp, Jackson and Karl Saint Lucy wrote new songs for the film. In an interview with Variety, de Vries felt that he had a responsibility to pay attention to the detailed work within the songwriting and the arrangements because "the overall mission of the show is so anarchic and uprooted… and demented". He was not parodying songs, but rather trying to "elicit humor by referencing other particular, specific songs".
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 5 nominations
Critical Reception
Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair praised the songs as "legitimate toe-tappers". Elisabeth Vincentelli of The New York Times called the music "passable" and the staging "mostly anemic". Ross Bonaime of Collider felt that "the tone of these songs gets old unfortunately too soon, especially as the first few musical numbers rely solely on them". David Fear of Rolling Stone wrote that the "outrageous, cabaret-style camp more than Broadway-style song-and-dance numbers" were one of the film's highlights.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Dicks: The Musical (2023)?
Dicks: The Musical was produced on a budget of approximately $10,000,000. A24 financed the musical comedy alongside Picturestart, with Larry Charles directing and Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp producing alongside writing the screenplay and starring in the lead roles.
How much did Dicks: The Musical earn at the box office?
The film grossed $2,431,090 domestically and approximately $750,000 internationally, for a worldwide total of around $3,180,000. It opened to $193,500 in limited release on October 6, 2023, before expanding to over 1,000 screens the following weekend.
Was Dicks: The Musical a box office success?
No. Against an approximately $10,000,000 production budget and an estimated $5,000,000 marketing spend, the film returned roughly $0.21 in worldwide gross for every $1 invested. A24 had positioned the film as an awards-season cult release rather than a mainstream hit, but the theatrical result fell below even those modest expectations.
Who directed Dicks: The Musical?
Larry Charles directed Dicks: The Musical from a screenplay by Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp, adapted from their UCB stage musical Fucking Identical Twins. Charles had previously directed Borat (2006), Bruno (2009), and The Dictator (2012), all collaborations with Sacha Baron Cohen.
Who stars in Dicks: The Musical?
Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp star as Trevor and Craig, with Megan Mullally as Evelyn, Nathan Lane as Harris, Bowen Yang as God, and Megan Thee Stallion as Gloria. The casting was a deliberate assembly of musical comedy and Broadway veterans alongside contemporary comedy figures.
What is Dicks: The Musical about?
The film is an outrageous musical comedy in which two competitive businessmen, Trevor and Craig, discover they are identical twins and conspire to reunite their estranged parents (Megan Mullally and Nathan Lane). The musical numbers escalate in scale and absurdity through a Parent Trap parody filtered through a profane, queer-coded sensibility.
What did critics think of Dicks: The Musical?
The film received mixed reviews, holding a 66% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 152 critics and a 60 out of 100 score on Metacritic. The Hollywood Reporter called it "shamelessly audacious," while The New York Times found the film's commitment to provocation alternately exhilarating and exhausting depending on viewer disposition.
Did Dicks: The Musical premiere at a festival?
Yes. The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section in September 2023, where it received a strong reception from the festival's late-night audience. A24 used the TIFF premiere as the foundation for the theatrical marketing campaign.
Where can I stream Dicks: The Musical?
The film streams on Max (formerly HBO Max) as part of A24's output deal with the platform, and is available for digital rental and purchase through Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Vudu.
Did Dicks: The Musical win any awards?
Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp won the Robert Altman Award at the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards for the film's ensemble. The film also received nominations at the GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Film (Wide Release) but did not win.
Official Trailer
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