Heretic

Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for Heretic?

Directed by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, with Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East leading the cast, Heretic was produced by A24 with a confirmed budget of $10,000,000, placing it in the low-budget category for thriller films.

At $10,000,000, Heretic was produced on a modest budget. Lower-budget films benefit from reduced break-even thresholds, with profitability achievable at approximately $25,000,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• By the Sea (2015): Budget $10,000,000 | Gross $3,727,746 → ROI: -63% • Eye for an Eye (2025): Budget $10,000,000 | Gross N/A • Goal! (2005): Budget $10,000,000 | Gross $27,610,873 → ROI: 176% • Phantom (2013): Budget $10,000,000 | Gross $1,197,759 → ROI: -88% • War of the Worlds (2025): Budget $10,000,000 | Gross N/A

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ 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.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Topher Grace, Elle Young Key roles: Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed; Sophie Thatcher as Sister Barnes; Chloe East as Sister Paxton; Topher Grace as Elder Kennedy

DIRECTOR: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods CINEMATOGRAPHY: Chung Chung-hoon MUSIC: Chris Bacon EDITING: Justin Li PRODUCTION: A24, Beck/Woods, Shiny Penny Productions, CatchLight Studios FILMED IN: United States of America

Box Office Performance

Heretic earned $27,986,380 domestically and $23,927,014 internationally, for a worldwide total of $51,913,394. Revenue was split 54% domestic / 46% international.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), Heretic needed approximately $25,000,000 to break even. The film surpassed this threshold by $26,913,394.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $51,913,394 Budget: $10,000,000 Net: $41,913,394 ROI: 419.1%

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Highly Profitable

Heretic was a clear financial success, generating $51,913,394 worldwide against a $10,000,000 production budget — a 419% ROI. After estimated marketing costs, the film still delivered substantial profit to A24.

INDUSTRY IMPACT

The outsized success of Heretic likely influenced studio greenlight decisions for similar thriller projects.

PRODUCTION NOTES

▸ Production

In June 2023, it was reported that Scott Beck and Bryan Woods were writing and directing the film for A24. Hugh Grant and Chloe East were cast in lead roles, with Sophie Thatcher later rounding out the main cast and Topher Grace taking a minor role. Beck and Woods said the film was inspired by Inherit the Wind (1960) and Contact (1997), both films that discuss religion seriously but "in a kind of popcorn movie context". The writing of the film was prompted by the death of Woods' father from esophageal cancer and the questions this prompted about what happens after death. Wanting to ensure the missionary characters were as genuine and authentic as possible and not clichés, the filmmakers consulted various Mormon friends during writing and production, as well as Thatcher and East, who are ex-Mormons.

The production was granted an interim agreement allowing filming during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. On a budget of under $10 million, principal photography took place in Vancouver from October 3 to November 16, 2023. The film was shot in chronological order.

Thatcher performs a cover version of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" with a similar arrangement to Mazzy Star's "Fade into You", which plays over the end credits. The statement that "no generative AI was used in the making of this film" is featured during the end credits, with Woods explaining to Variety, "We have no illusions that when people watch Heretic they’re going to go, 'Wait, did they use generative AI?' It doesn't feel like that at all, but it was important for us to put that out there because we think it's something people need to start talking about."

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Summary: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award4 wins & 38 nominations total

Additional Recognition: ! scope="col" |Award ! scope="col" |Date of ceremony ! scope="col" |Category ! scope="col" |Recipient(s) !Result ! class="unsortable" scope="col" |

! scope="row" rowspan="2" |Astra Film Awards

! scope="row" | Michigan Movie Critics Guild Awards

! scope="row" rowspan="2" | Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards

! scope="row" | Phoenix Critics Circle Awards

! rowspan="2" scope="row"| St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards

! rowspan="1" scope="row"|Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards

! scope="row" | Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Awards

! scope="row" | Online Association of Female Film Critics Awards

! scope="row" | Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Awards

! scope="row" | Golden Globe Awards

! scope="row" | Austin Film Critics Association Awards

! rowspan="1" scope="row"| Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards

! scope="row" | Music City Film Critics Association Awards

! scope="row" | Utah Film Critics Association Awards

! rowspan="2" scope="row"| Hawaii Film Critics Society Awards

! scope="row" | Chicago Indie Critics Awards

! scope="row" | Houston Film Critics Society Awards

! scope="row" | Satellite Awards

! scope="row" | Critics' Choice Movie Awards

! scope="row"| Artios Awards

! scope="row"| Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards

! scope="row" | British Academy Film Awards

! scope="row" rowspan="1"| Independent Spirit Awards

! scope="rowgroup"| Golden Trailer Awards

! scope="row" rowspan="3" | Critics' Choice Sup...

CRITICAL RECEPTION

Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 70% overall positive score. Peter Bradshaw, in a review for The Guardian, described the film as "gruesome and bizarre and preposterous" and highlighted the performance of Hugh Grant, calling him "suave, dapper and evil". McKay Coppins, in The Atlantic, described the film as "A Horror Movie About an Atheist Who Won't Shut Up". Filmmaker Rich Peppiatt named it one of his top 10 feature films of 2024, praising Grant's performance.