In 1962, Tony "Tony Lip" Vallelonga, a tough bouncer, is looking for work when his nightclub is closed for renovations. The most promising offer turns out to be the driver for the African-American classical pianist Don Shirley for a concert tour into the Deep South states. Although hardly enthused at working for a black man, Tony accepts the job and they begin their trek armed with The Negro Motorist Green Book, a travel guide for safe travel through America's racial segregation. Together, the snobbishly erudite pianist and the crudely practical bouncer can barely get along with their clashing attitudes to life and ideals. However, as the disparate pair witness and endure America's appalling injustices on the road, they find a newfound respect for each other's talents and start to face them together. In doing so, they would nurture a friendship and understanding that would change both their lives.

What is the budget of Green Book?

"Green Book," a drama released in 2018, was directed by Peter Farrelly and stars Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali. The production budget was $23,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for drama productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama production like this include:

Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.

What were the major cost factors in Green Book?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Green Book."

Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.

How Does Green Book's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $23,000,000, Green Book sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

The Secret World of Arrietty (2010): Budget $23,000,000, Worldwide Gross $149,660,003
Bad Santa (2003): Budget $23,000,000, Worldwide Gross $76,500,000
Chasing Liberty (2004): Budget $23,000,000, Worldwide Gross $12,195,626
Chéri (2009): Budget $23,000,000, Worldwide Gross $9,400,000
Eddie the Eagle (2016): Budget $23,000,000, Worldwide Gross $46,152,411

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

Green Book Box Office Performance

"Green Book" earned $85,080,171 domestically and $321,752,656 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $23,000,000, 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 "Green Book," that break-even threshold was roughly $46,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $321,752,656, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

Production Budget: $23,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $321,752,656
Net Return: $298,752,656
ROI: approximately 1298.9%

At 1298.9%, "Green Book" earned roughly $13.99 for every $1 invested in production.

Awards and Recognition

Won 3 Oscars. 58 wins & 124 nominations total

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
National Board of Review Award for Best Film
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali (91st Academy Awards)
Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay: Peter Farrelly (91st Academy Awards)
Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay: Nick Vallelonga (91st Academy Awards)
Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay: Brian Currie (91st Academy Awards)
Academy Award for Best Picture (91st Academy Awards)