Eighth Grade Budget
ComedyDrama1h 34mUpdated
Synopsis
In his feature film directorial debut, comedian Bo Burnham deftly encapsulates the awkwardness, angst, self-loathing and reinvention that a teenage girl goes through on the cusp of high school. Given that the 27-year-old stand-up comic achieved fame as a teenager himself through YouTube by riffing on his insecurities, he is uniquely capable as the film's writer and director to tell the story of Kayla, an anxious girl navigating the final days of her eighth grade year, despite creating a protagonist female instead of male. Like Burnham did more than a decade ago, 13-year-old Kayla turns to YouTube to express herself, where she makes advice blogs in which she pretends to have it all together. In reality, Kayla is sullen and silent around her single father and her peers at school, carrying out most of her interactions with her classmates on Instagram and Twitter. Her YouTube videos are a clever narrative tool that provide insight into her inner hopes and dreams, much like an inspirational online diary. One of Eighth Grade's biggest triumphs is in its realism.
What is the budget of Eighth Grade?
"Eighth Grade," a comedy released in 2018, was directed by Bo Burnham and stars Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton. The production budget was $2,000,000, placing it in the micro-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.
- Casting: 50 teenagers auditioned for the role of Kayla. Upon reviewing the screenplay, her father shouted and swore while reading the "truth or dare" scene, but made sure Fisher was comfortable with the material.
What were the major cost factors in Eighth Grade?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Eighth Grade."
- 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 Eighth Grade's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $2,000,000, Eighth Grade sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Seven Samurai (1954): Budget $2,000,000, Worldwide Gross $105,000,000
- The Great Dictator (1940): Budget $2,000,000, Worldwide Gross $11,000,000
- Sing Sing (2024): Budget $2,000,000, Worldwide Gross $3,401,789
- The Lives of Others (2006): Budget $2,000,000, Worldwide Gross $77,672,685
- Anatomy of a Murder (1959): Budget $2,000,000, Worldwide Gross $8,000,000
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Eighth Grade Box Office Performance
"Eighth Grade" earned $13,539,709 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $2,000,000, 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 "Eighth Grade," that break-even threshold was roughly $4,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $13,539,709, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $2,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $13,539,709
- Net Return: $11,539,709
- ROI: approximately 577%
At 577%, "Eighth Grade" earned roughly $6.77 for every $1 invested in production.
Eighth Grade Production History
50 teenagers auditioned for the role of Kayla. Upon reviewing the screenplay, her father shouted and swore while reading the "truth or dare" scene, but made sure Fisher was comfortable with the material. Burnham considered Josh Hamilton to have a "dad vibe".
The film was shot in Suffern, New York, in summer 2017, over 27 days, Burnham chose not to obscure the natural look of Fisher's skin, Kayla's use of the phrase "Gucci!" to sign-off her video blogs came from Fisher's habit of ending conversations this way, which was also imitated by Burnham and others on set. Fisher's other habits of slouching and rubbing their arm were also incorporated into Kayla's character. The filmmakers adopted Fisher's advice that "no one uses Facebook anymore" in regard to teenagers, and it was replaced in the film by Instagram.
Awards and Recognition
60 wins & 91 nominations total
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Critical Reception
Eighth Grade received critical acclaim, particularly for Fisher's performance and Burnham's screenplay and direction. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of .
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Eighth Grade (2018)?
The production budget was $2,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $1,000,000 - $1,600,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $3,000,000 - $3,600,000.
How much did Eighth Grade (2018) earn at the box office?
Eighth Grade grossed $13,539,709 domestic, totaling $13,539,709 worldwide.
Was Eighth Grade (2018) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $2,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$5,000,000, the film earned $13,539,709 theatrically - a 577% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Eighth Grade?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns.
How does Eighth Grade's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $2,000,000, Eighth Grade is classified as a micro-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: Seven Samurai (1954, $2,000,000); The Great Dictator (1940, $2,000,000); Sing Sing (2024, $2,000,000).
Did Eighth Grade (2018) 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 Eighth Grade?
The theatrical ROI was 577.0%, calculated as ($13,539,709 − $2,000,000) ÷ $2,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Eighth Grade (2018) win?
60 wins & 91 nominations total.
Who directed Eighth Grade and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Bo Burnham, written by Bo Burnham, shot by Andrew Wehde, with music by Anna Meredith, edited by Jennifer Lilly.
Where was Eighth Grade filmed?
Eighth Grade was filmed in United States of America. The film was shot in Suffern, New York, in summer 2017, over 27 days, Burnham chose not to obscure the natural look of Fisher's skin, Kayla's use of the phrase "Gucci!" to sign-off her video blogs came from Fisher's habit of ending conversations this way, which was also imitated by Burnham and others on set. Fisher's other habits of slouching and rubbing their arm were also incorporated into Kayla's character. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Eighth Grade
Official Trailer
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