High Life Budget
Science FictionDramaMystery1h 53mUpdated
Synopsis
Takes place beyond the solar system in a future that seems like the present. About a group of criminals who accept a mission in space to become the subjects of a human reproduction experiment. They find themselves in the most unimaginable situation after a storm of cosmic rays hit the ship.
What is the budget of High Life?
"High Life," a science fiction released in 2018, was directed by Claire Denis and stars Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche. The production budget was $8,933,400, placing it in the low-budget range for science fiction productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a science fiction production like this include:
- Visual Effects & CGI Pipeline: Sci-fi films are among the most VFX-intensive productions in Hollywood.
- Production Design & World-Building: Creating a believable sci-fi world required significant investment in set construction, prop fabrication, and conceptual design , from physical environments through LED volume stages and virtual production technology.
- Technology & Camera Systems: Cutting-edge camera rigs, motion capture stages, LED volume stages (virtual production), and proprietary rendering technology often push the technical budget far beyond conventional filming costs.
What were the major cost factors in High Life?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "High Life."
- Visual Effects: Visual Effects & CGI Pipeline is one of the primary cost drivers in science fiction productions of this scale.
- Production Design: Production Design & World-Building is one of the primary cost drivers in science fiction productions of this scale.
- Technology: Technology & Camera Systems is one of the primary cost drivers in science fiction productions of this scale.
How Does High Life's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $8,933,400, High Life sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Amour (2012): Budget $8,900,000, Worldwide Gross $29,800,000
- Memento (2000): Budget $9,000,000, Worldwide Gross $40,060,108
- 3 Idiots (2009): Budget $9,000,000, Worldwide Gross $70,000,000
- There's Still Tomorrow (2023): Budget $9,000,000, Worldwide Gross $50,121,593
- Midsommar (2019): Budget $9,000,000, Worldwide Gross $48,498,408
The median budget for wide-release science fiction films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
High Life Box Office Performance
"High Life" earned $1,225,852 domestically and $2,133,033 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $8,933,400, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "High Life," that break-even threshold was roughly $17,866,800. With worldwide earnings of $2,133,033, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $8,933,400
- Worldwide Gross: $2,133,033
- Net Return: −$6,800,367
- ROI: approximately -76.1%
At -76.1%, "High Life" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
5 wins & 22 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make High Life (2018)?
The production budget was $8,933,400, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $4,466,700 - $7,146,720, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $13,400,100 - $16,080,120.
How much did High Life (2018) earn at the box office?
High Life grossed $1,225,852 domestic, $907,181 international, totaling $2,133,033 worldwide.
Was High Life (2018) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $2,133,033 against an estimated $22,333,500 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing High Life?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Mia Goth); visual effects pipelines, virtual production technology, and speculative world-building; international production across France, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, United States of America.
How does High Life's budget compare to similar science fiction films?
At $8,933,400, High Life is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release science fiction films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Amour (2012, $8,900,000); Memento (2000, $9,000,000); 3 Idiots (2009, $9,000,000).
Did High Life (2018) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What was the return on investment (ROI) for High Life?
The theatrical ROI was -76.1%, calculated as ($2,133,033 − $8,933,400) ÷ $8,933,400 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did High Life (2018) win?
5 wins & 22 nominations total.
Who directed High Life and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Claire Denis, written by Claire Denis, Jean-Pol Fargeau, Geoff Cox, shot by Yorick Le Saux, with music by Stuart A. Staples, edited by Guy Lecorne.
Where was High Life filmed?
High Life was filmed in France, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
High Life
Official Trailer
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