Downsizing Budget

What is the budget of Downsizing?

"Downsizing," a drama released in 2017, was directed by Alexander Payne and stars Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz. The production budget was $68,000,000, placing it in the high-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.
• Filming & Locations: Principal photography for the film began on April 1, 2016, in Mississauga and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at York University’s Vari Hall, University of Toronto Mississauga and the Aga Khan Museum.

What were the major cost factors in Downsizing?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Downsizing."

• 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 Downsizing's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $68,000,000, Downsizing sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Fury (2014): Budget $68,000,000, Worldwide Gross $211,817,906
• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010): Budget $68,000,000 , Gross $698,491,347
• Nope (2022): Budget $68,000,000, Worldwide Gross $171,932,082
• Reminiscence (2021): Budget $68,000,000, Worldwide Gross $18,717,947
• The Score (2001): Budget $68,000,000, Worldwide Gross $113,579,918

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Downsizing Box Office Performance

"Downsizing" earned $55,003,890 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $68,000,000, 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 "Downsizing," that break-even threshold was roughly $136,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $55,003,890, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $68,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $55,003,890
• Net Return: −$12,996,110
• ROI: approximately -19.1%

At -19.1%, "Downsizing" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Downsizing Production History

Principal photography for the film began on April 1, 2016, in Mississauga and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at York University’s Vari Hall, University of Toronto Mississauga and the Aga Khan Museum. Filming later took place in Markham, Omaha, Los Angeles, and Trollfjorden in Norway. Rolfe Kent composed the score for the film.

Awards and Recognition

• National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Critical Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 47% based on 301 reviews, with an average rating of 5.70/10; the website's critical consensus reads: "Downsizing assembles a talented cast in pursuit of some truly interesting ideaswhich may be enough for some audiences to forgive the final product's frustrating shortcomings." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 48 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.