Faust Budget
Updated
Synopsis
A wise man sells his soul to Mefistofeles a Satan helper recognizing knowledge will bring no happiness to human life. A German Romanticism' portrait, on how love could overcome reason. Based on the true life of Dr. Johannes Faust, a German alchemist, who is supposed to have been killed when trying to discover the philosopher's stone.
What is the budget of Faust?
"Faust," a fantasy released in 2011, was directed by Aleksandr Sokurov and stars Johannes Zeiler, Anton Adasinsky. The production budget was $14,400,000, placing it in the low-budget range for fantasy productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a fantasy production like this include:
- Visual Effects & Creature Design: Fantasy productions require extensive VFX for magical elements, mythical creatures, and fantastical battle sequences.
- Costumes, Prosthetic Makeup & Production Design: Period-inspired or wholly original costumes, elaborate prosthetic and makeup applications, and richly detailed set construction are hallmarks of fantasy filmmaking.
- Music Score & Sound Design: Fantasy epics typically commission full orchestral scores recorded with 80 to 100 piece ensembles, plus extensive sound design for magical effects, creature vocalizations, and immersive world audio.
- Production: The project, described in 2005 as "loosely based on works by Goethe and Thomas Mann", was announced by Sokurov in 2005 as "a very colourful, elegant picture with a lot of Strauss music and a smell of chocolate." The eight-million euro film was produced by the St.
What were the major cost factors in Faust?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Faust."
- Visual Effects: Visual Effects & Creature Design is one of the primary cost drivers in fantasy productions of this scale.
- Costumes: Costumes, Prosthetic Makeup & Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in fantasy productions of this scale.
- Music Score: Music Score & Sound Design is one of the primary cost drivers in fantasy productions of this scale.
How Does Faust's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $14,400,000, Faust sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Unforgiven (1992): Budget $14,400,000, Worldwide Gross $159,157,447
- Days of Glory (2006): Budget $14,500,000, Worldwide Gross $22,963,701
- Romeo + Juliet (1996): Budget $14,500,000, Worldwide Gross $147,298,761
- Sound of Freedom (2023): Budget $14,500,000, Worldwide Gross $250,600,000
- Groundhog Day (1993): Budget $14,600,000, Worldwide Gross $71,108,778
The median budget for wide-release fantasy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Faust Box Office Performance
"Faust" earned $58,132 domestically. Against a production budget of $14,400,000, 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 "Faust," that break-even threshold was roughly $28,800,000. With worldwide earnings of $58,132, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $14,400,000
- Worldwide Gross: $58,132
- Net Return: −$14,341,868
- ROI: approximately -99.6%
At -99.6%, "Faust" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
15 wins & 27 nominations
- Golden Lion
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Faust (2011)?
The production budget was $14,400,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $7,200,000 - $11,520,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $21,600,000 - $25,920,000.
How much did Faust (2011) earn at the box office?
Box office figures are not publicly available.
Was Faust (2011) profitable?
Insufficient data for a profitability assessment.
What were the biggest costs in producing Faust?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Johannes Zeiler, Anton Adasinsky, Isolda Dychauk-Ott); VFX creature work, elaborate costume and prosthetic design, and orchestral scoring.
How does Faust's budget compare to similar fantasy films?
At $14,400,000, Faust is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release fantasy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Unforgiven (1992, $14,400,000); Days of Glory (2006, $14,500,000); Romeo + Juliet (1996, $14,500,000).
Did Faust (2011) 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 awards did Faust (2011) win?
15 wins & 27 nominations.
Who directed Faust and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov, written by Aleksandr Sokurov, Marina Koreneva, shot by Bruno Delbonnel, with music by Andrey Sigle.
Where was Faust filmed?
Faust was filmed in Russia. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Faust
Official Trailer
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