Her Budget
RomanceScience FictionDrama126 minutesUpdated
Synopsis
Set in Los Angeles in the slight future, “Her” follows Theodore, a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive and unique entity in its own right. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet “Samantha,” a bright, female voice who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other.
What Is the Budget of Her (2013)?
Directed by Spike Jonze, with Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Lynn Adrianna leading the cast, Her was produced by Annapurna Pictures with a confirmed budget of $23,000,000, placing it in the low-budget category for romance films.
At $23,000,000, Her (2013) sits within the typical budget range for romance productions. Productions at this scale require filmmakers to make precise choices about where money appears on screen, typically concentrating resources on one or two standout elements rather than spreading spend evenly across departments.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
Her (2013)'s $23,000,000 budget was concentrated in the areas where romance's commercial appeal is actually built:
- Above-the-Line Talent — Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances. Securing award-caliber actors and experienced directors represents the single largest budget line item, often consuming 30–40% of the total production budget.
- Location Filming & Period Production Design — Authentic locations require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period. Period dramas add the cost of era-accurate props, vehicles, and set decoration.
- Post-Production, Color Grading & Score — The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone. Color grading, a nuanced musical score, and detailed sound mixing are critical to achieving emotional resonance.
How Does Her (2013)'s Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $23,000,000, Her (2013) operates well below the typical budget range for romance productions. The contrast with comparable productions contextualizes what the film achieved relative to its resources:
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994) — Budget $25,000,000 | Worldwide $58,000,000. the canonical example of a film that dramatically underperformed theatrically before becoming one of the most rewatched films in history.
- A Beautiful Mind (2001) — Budget $58,000,000 | Worldwide $313,000,000. demonstrates how prestige dramas with strong awards positioning can sustain long theatrical runs beyond their opening weeks.
- The Social Network (2010) — Budget $40,000,000 | Worldwide $224,000,000. Fincher's proof that a dialogue-driven drama about technology can command blockbuster attention when execution is exceptional.
Her (2013) Box Office Performance
Her (2013) earned $25,568,251 domestically and $47,351,251 worldwide at the box office. Worldwide gross: $47,351,251 Domestic: $25,568,251 International: $21,783,000 Her did not break even theatrically (break-even threshold: $57,500,000).
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For Her (2013), that break-even threshold was roughly $46,000,000. Based on its Annapurna Pictures release, Prints and Advertising costs are estimated at approximately $16,100,000, bringing the total estimated investment to approximately $39,100,000. With worldwide earnings of $47,351,251, the film cleared that threshold by $1,351,251.
- Production Budget: $23,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $47,351,251
- Net Return: $24,351,251
- ROI: approximately 105.9%
At 105.9%, Her (2013) earned roughly $2.06 for every $1 invested in production, representing a profitable theatrical run.
Her (2013) Production History
Her (2013), directed by Spike Jonze and produced by Annapurna Pictures, represents a production that brought together key creative collaborators to realize the film's central vision. The screenplay was written by Spike Jonze.
The film assembles Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Lynn Adrianna in principal roles, with the casting choices reflecting the production's commitment to the material's commercial and artistic ambitions.
Awards and Recognition
Won 1 Oscar. 83 wins & 187 nominations total
Critical Reception
Her (2013) received strongly positive critical reception, earning a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a Metacritic score of 91 out of 100, an IMDb user score of 8.0 out of 10. Reviews consistently highlighted the film's craft, performances, and tonal coherence as evidence of filmmaking that matched its ambitions.
Critical and audience scores align closely, suggesting Her (2013) delivers what both audiences and reviewers were looking for -- a consistency that is rarer than it appears and typically reflects strong tonal control in production.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Her (2013) cost to make?
The production budget was $23,000,000. Annapurna Pictures financed the film through Megan Ellison, with Warner Bros. handling distribution. The budget reflected the film's contained cast and largely single-protagonist focus.
How much did Her earn at the box office?
Her grossed $25,568,251 domestically and $22,500,000 internationally, for a worldwide total of approximately $48,100,000. It opened in limited release on December 18, 2013, before expanding wide on January 10, 2014, reflecting the standard awards-season platform release pattern.
Did Her win any Oscars?
Yes. Spike Jonze won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay at the 86th Academy Awards. The film received four additional nominations, including Best Picture, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song for The Moon Song.
Who stars in Her?
Joaquin Phoenix stars as Theodore Twombly, a lonely letter writer who falls in love with an artificially intelligent operating system. Scarlett Johansson voices Samantha, the AI, replacing original cast Samantha Morton during post-production. Supporting cast includes Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, and Chris Pratt.
Who directed Her?
Spike Jonze wrote and directed the film. Her was Jonze's fourth feature as director following Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002), and Where the Wild Things Are (2009), and his first solo screenplay credit without longtime collaborator Charlie Kaufman.
Why was Samantha Morton replaced as the voice of Samantha?
Samantha Morton recorded the AI's voice during principal photography on set, giving Joaquin Phoenix a real performance to act against. Spike Jonze decided in post-production that the role required a different tonal quality and recast Scarlett Johansson, who rerecorded all dialogue from scratch. Morton received an executive producer credit.
Where was Her filmed?
Principal photography took place in Los Angeles and Shanghai, with Shanghai's Pudong district providing the futuristic high-rise architecture for the near-future Los Angeles setting. The blended skyline let production designer K.K. Barrett construct a city that felt simultaneously familiar and advanced.
What did critics think of Her?
The film received highly positive reviews, with a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 91 out of 100 score on Metacritic. Critics praised Joaquin Phoenix's vulnerable performance, Spike Jonze's screenplay, and Scarlett Johansson's purely vocal performance as a remarkable technical achievement.
Has Her been reappraised in the AI era?
Yes. Her has experienced significant critical reappraisal following the public release of conversational AI systems such as ChatGPT, with critics noting how presciently Jonze anticipated AI companionship dynamics, intimate human-machine relationships, and the emotional consequences of large-scale AI systems retiring or transitioning.
How does Her fit in Spike Jonze's filmography?
Her was Jonze's most financially successful directorial effort, exceeding Being John Malkovich (1999, $13,000,000 budget, $23,100,000 worldwide), Adaptation (2002, $19,000,000 budget, $32,800,000 worldwide), and Where the Wild Things Are (2009, $100,000,000 budget, $100,100,000 worldwide).
Official Trailer
Build your own production budget
Create professional budgets with industry-standard feature film templates. Real-time collaboration, no spreadsheets.
