The first crusade to free the Holy Land has ended. A mass of weary knights, squires, soldiers of fortune and Priests are making their way home across a Europe that has changed forever. George (James Purefoy), a handsome English knight, unsettled by the horrendous bloodletting he witnessed in Palestine, desires to hang up his sword and settle down to a quiet, peaceful life. On returning to England, he heads north where he's heard the land is good and the population sparse, and of a kindly King named Edgar (Simon Callow). He finds King Edgar in a terrible state. His beautiful daughter, Princess Lunna (Piper Perabo) has recently disappeared. In return for a small plot of land, George agrees to search for Princess Lunna. With Edgar's faithful servant, Elmendorf (Bill Treacher), George sets out. George discovers the Princess and the truth behind her strange disappearance. The quest now set before them ends in a love, a lie, and a legend that has lasted for a thousand years.

Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for George and the Dragon?

Directed by Tom Reeve, with James Purefoy, Piper Perabo, Patrick Swayze leading the cast, George and the Dragon was produced by ApolloMedia with a confirmed budget of $32,000,000, placing it in the low-budget category for adventure films.

With a $32,000,000 budget, George and the Dragon sits in the mid-range of studio releases. Marketing costs for a wide release at this level typically add $30–60 million, putting the break-even point near $80,000,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• A History of Violence (2005): Budget $32,000,000 | Gross $61,477,797 → ROI: 92% • Alive (1993): Budget $32,000,000 | Gross $36,700,000 → ROI: 15% • Bad Times at the El Royale (2018): Budget $32,000,000 | Gross $31,882,724 → ROI: -0% • Bogus (1996): Budget $32,000,000 | Gross N/A • Bombshell (2019): Budget $32,000,000 | Gross $61,404,394 → ROI: 92%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ 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. For large-scale productions, VFX alone can account for 20–30% of the total budget, with additional costs for stunt coordinators, rigging, and safety crews.

▸ Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation. Lead actors in major action franchises typically earn $10–25 million per film, with directors often receiving comparable compensation packages tied to box office performance.

▸ 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.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: James Purefoy, Piper Perabo, Patrick Swayze, Michael Clarke Duncan, Bill Treacher Key roles: James Purefoy as George; Piper Perabo as Princess Lunna; Patrick Swayze as Garth; Michael Clarke Duncan as Tarik

DIRECTOR: Tom Reeve CINEMATOGRAPHY: Joost van Starrenburg MUSIC: Gast Waltzing EDITING: Misch Bervard, Jonathan P. Shaw PRODUCTION: ApolloMedia, The Carousel Picture Company, Ravenhouse Entertainment FILMED IN: Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America, Luxembourg

Box Office Performance

Theatrical box office data is not publicly available for George and the Dragon (2004). This may indicate a limited release, direct-to-streaming, or a release predating modern box office tracking.