

Ferdinand Budget
Updated
Synopsis
After being mistaken for a dangerous beast, Ferdinand is captured and torn from his home. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team on the ultimate adventure. Ferdinand proves you can’t judge a bull by its cover.
What is the budget of Ferdinand?
"Ferdinand," a animation released in 2017, was directed by Carlos Saldanha and stars John Cena, Kate McKinnon. The production budget was $111,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for animation productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a animation production like this include:
- Animation Production Pipeline: The bulk of an animated film's budget funds the multi-year production pipeline: storyboarding, character modeling, rigging, animation, lighting, rendering, and compositing.
- Voice Talent: Celebrity voice casting has become standard for studio animation, with A-list actors earning $5 to 15 million for voice roles.
- Music, Songs & Sound Design: Original songs and orchestral scores are central to animated storytelling. Sound design for animated worlds must be created entirely from scratch.
What were the major cost factors in Ferdinand?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Ferdinand."
- Animation Production Pipeline: Animation Production Pipeline is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
- Voice Talent: Voice Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
- Music: Music, Songs & Sound Design is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
How Does Ferdinand's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $111,000,000, Ferdinand sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 300: Rise of an Empire (2014): Budget $110,000,000 , Gross $337,580,051
- Ocean's Twelve (2004): Budget $110,000,000, Worldwide Gross $362,744,280
- Deadpool 2 (2018): Budget $110,000,000, Worldwide Gross $785,896,632
- Deepwater Horizon (2016): Budget $110,000,000, Worldwide Gross $121,790,376
- Ender's Game (2013): Budget $110,000,000, Worldwide Gross $125,537,191
The median budget for wide-release animation films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Ferdinand Box Office Performance
"Ferdinand" earned $84,410,380 domestically and $295,038,508 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $111,000,000, 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 "Ferdinand," that break-even threshold was roughly $222,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $295,038,508, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $111,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $295,038,508
- Net Return: $184,038,508
- ROI: approximately 165.8%
At 165.8%, "Ferdinand" earned roughly $2.66 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 2 wins & 22 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Ferdinand (2017)?
The production budget was $111,000,000, 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 $55,500,000 - $88,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $166,500,000 - $199,800,000.
How much did Ferdinand (2017) earn at the box office?
Ferdinand grossed $84,410,380 domestic, $210,628,128 international, totaling $295,038,508 worldwide.
Was Ferdinand (2017) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $111,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$277,500,000, the film earned $295,038,508 theatrically - a 166% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Ferdinand?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (John Cena, Kate McKinnon, Anthony Anderson); multi-year animation production, celebrity voice talent, and original musical compositions.
How does Ferdinand's budget compare to similar animation films?
At $111,000,000, Ferdinand is classified as a big-budget production. The median budget for wide-release animation films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 300: Rise of an Empire (2014, $110,000,000); Ocean's Twelve (2004, $110,000,000); Deadpool 2 (2018, $110,000,000).
Did Ferdinand (2017) 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 Ferdinand?
The theatrical ROI was 165.8%, calculated as ($295,038,508 − $111,000,000) ÷ $111,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Ferdinand (2017) win?
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 2 wins & 22 nominations total.
Who directed Ferdinand and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Carlos Saldanha, written by David Kidd, Don Rhymer, Ron Burch, Brad Copeland, shot by Renato Falcão, with music by John Powell, edited by Harry Hitner.
Where was Ferdinand filmed?
Ferdinand was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Ferdinand
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