Synopsis

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and - if he has his way - every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It's enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop...except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O'Mara and Jerry Wooters, who come together to try to tear Cohen's world apart

What is the budget of Gangster Squad?

"Gangster Squad," a crime released in 2013, was directed by Ruben Fleischer and stars Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling. The production budget was $60,000,000, 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 Gangster Squad?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Gangster Squad."

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 Gangster Squad's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $60,000,000, Gangster Squad sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

15 Minutes (2001): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $56,359,980
Almost Famous (2000): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $47,386,287
Analyze That (2002): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $55,003,135
Antz (1998): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $171,757,863
Cats & Dogs (2001): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $200,687,492

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

Gangster Squad Box Office Performance

"Gangster Squad" earned $46,000,903 domestically and $105,200,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $60,000,000, 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 "Gangster Squad," that break-even threshold was roughly $120,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $105,200,000, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $60,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $105,200,000
Net Return: $45,200,000
ROI: approximately 75.3%

At 75.3%, "Gangster Squad" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.