What is the budget of Edge of Darkness?

"Edge of Darkness," a crime released in 2010, was directed by Martin Campbell and stars Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone. The production budget was $80,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for crime productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

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

Talent & Director Compensation: Thrillers depend on compelling lead performances to sustain tension, making cast compensation a primary budget concern. Directors with proven thriller credentials command premium fees.
Cinematography & Location Photography: Thriller aesthetics demand specific visual languages , surveillance-style photography, claustrophobic framing, or expansive location work across multiple cities or countries.
Editorial & Sound Post-Production: Precision editing , controlling information flow, building suspense through pacing, and orchestrating reveals , requires extended post-production schedules.

What were the major cost factors in Edge of Darkness?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Edge of Darkness."

Talent: Talent & Director Compensation is one of the primary cost drivers in crime productions of this scale.
Cinematography: Cinematography & Location Photography is one of the primary cost drivers in crime productions of this scale.
Editorial: Editorial & Sound Post-Production is one of the primary cost drivers in crime productions of this scale.

How Does Edge of Darkness's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $80,000,000, Edge of Darkness sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

Babylon (2022): Budget $78,000,000, Worldwide Gross $65,267,446
A Civil Action (1998): Budget $70,000,000, Worldwide Gross $56,709,981
Babylon A.D. (2008): Budget $70,000,000, Worldwide Gross $72,109,200
Bad Boys for Life (2020): Budget $90,000,000, Worldwide Gross $426,505,244
Beowulf (2007): Budget $70,000,000, Worldwide Gross $195,735,876

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

Edge of Darkness Box Office Performance

"Edge of Darkness" earned $43,313,890 domestically and $81,126,522 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $80,000,000, 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 "Edge of Darkness," that break-even threshold was roughly $160,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $81,126,522, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $80,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $81,126,522
Net Return: $1,126,522
ROI: approximately 1.4%

At 1.4%, "Edge of Darkness" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.