Fantastic Mr. Fox Budget
AdventureAnimationComedyFamily1h 27mUpdated
Synopsis
This is the story of Mr. Fox (George Clooney) and his wild ways of hen heckling, turkey taking, and cider sipping, nocturnal, instinctive adventures. He has to put his wild days behind him and do what fathers do best: be responsible. He is too rebellious. He is too wild. He is going to try "just one more raid" on the three nastiest, meanest farmers that are Walter Boggis (Robin Hurlstone), Nathan Bunce (Hugo Guinness), and Franklin Bean (Sir Michael Gambon). It is a tale of crossing the line of family responsibilities and midnight adventure and the friendships and awakenings of this country life that is inhabited by Fantastic Mr. Fox and his friends.
What is the budget of Fantastic Mr. Fox?
"Fantastic Mr. Fox," an adventure released in 2009, was directed by Wes Anderson and stars George Clooney, Robin Hurlstone. The production budget was $40,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for adventure productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an adventure 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.
- Music & Score: The film's soundtrack featured a selection of songs from The Beach Boys, The Bobby Fuller Four, Burl Ives, Art Tatum, Georges Delerue, The Rolling Stones, and other artists.
What were the major cost factors in Fantastic Mr. Fox?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Fantastic Mr. Fox."
- Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
- Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
How Does Fantastic Mr. Fox's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $40,000,000, Fantastic Mr. Fox sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 42 (2013): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $95,020,213
- A Few Good Men (1992): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $243,240,178
- Big Trouble (2002): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $8,493,890
- Boomerang (1992): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $131,052,444
- Fifty Shades of Grey (2015): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $569,651,467
The median budget for wide-release adventure films in the 2000s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Fantastic Mr. Fox Box Office Performance
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" earned $21,002,919 domestically and $46,471,023 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $40,000,000, 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 "Fantastic Mr. Fox," that break-even threshold was roughly $80,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $46,471,023, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $40,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $46,471,023
- Net Return: $6,471,023
- ROI: approximately 16.2%
At 16.2%, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.
Fantastic Mr. Fox Production History
The film's soundtrack featured a selection of songs from The Beach Boys, The Bobby Fuller Four, Burl Ives, Art Tatum, Georges Delerue, The Rolling Stones, and other artists. An original score composed by Alexandre Desplat accompanied the remainder of the album. ABKCO Records released the soundtrack on November 10, 2009, three days ahead of the film.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 2 Oscars. 32 wins & 63 nominations total
- Annecy Cristal for a Feature Film
Critical Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 93% based on 245 reviews and an average rating of 7.90/10. The site's consensus states: "Fantastic Mr. Fox is a delightfully funny feast for the eyes with multi-generational appeal , and it shows Wes Anderson has a knack for animation". The film also became the second highest-rated animated film in 2009 on the site, behind Up. On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 based on 34 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)?
The production budget was $40,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $20,000,000 - $32,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $60,000,000 - $72,000,000.
How much did Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) earn at the box office?
Fantastic Mr. Fox grossed $21,002,919 domestic, $25,468,104 international, totaling $46,471,023 worldwide.
Was Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $46,471,023 against an estimated $100,000,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Fantastic Mr. Fox?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (George Clooney, Robin Hurlstone, Meryl Streep); visual effects, practical stunts, and A-list talent compensation.
How does Fantastic Mr. Fox's budget compare to similar adventure films?
At $40,000,000, Fantastic Mr. Fox is classified as a mid-budget production. The median budget for wide-release adventure films in the 2000s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 42 (2013, $40,000,000); A Few Good Men (1992, $40,000,000); Big Trouble (2002, $40,000,000).
Did Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) 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 Fantastic Mr. Fox?
The theatrical ROI was 16.2%, calculated as ($46,471,023 − $40,000,000) ÷ $40,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) win?
Nominated for 2 Oscars. 32 wins & 63 nominations total.
Who directed Fantastic Mr. Fox and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Wes Anderson, written by Noah Baumbach, Wes Anderson, shot by Tristan Oliver, with music by Alexandre Desplat, edited by Ralph Foster, Stephen Perkins.
Where was Fantastic Mr. Fox filmed?
Fantastic Mr. Fox was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Official Trailer
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