Hustlers Budget
DramaComedyCrime1h 50mUpdated
Synopsis
Hustlers follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients.
What is the budget of Hustlers?
"Hustlers," a drama released in 2019, was directed by Lorene Scafaria and stars Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez. The production budget was $20,000,000, 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 Hustlers?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Hustlers."
- 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 Hustlers's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $20,000,000, Hustlers sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 12 Years a Slave (2013): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $187,000,000
- 21 Grams (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $60,427,839
- 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $11,798,854
- A Guy Thing (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,400,000
- A Most Violent Year (2014): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $12,007,070
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Hustlers Box Office Performance
"Hustlers" earned $104,963,598 domestically and $157,563,598 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $20,000,000, 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 "Hustlers," that break-even threshold was roughly $40,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $157,563,598, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $20,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $157,563,598
- Net Return: $137,563,598
- ROI: approximately 687.8%
At 687.8%, "Hustlers" earned roughly $7.88 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
25 wins & 79 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Hustlers (2019)?
The production budget was $20,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $10,000,000 - $16,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $30,000,000 - $36,000,000.
How much did Hustlers (2019) earn at the box office?
Hustlers grossed $104,963,598 domestic, $52,600,000 international, totaling $157,563,598 worldwide.
Was Hustlers (2019) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $20,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$50,000,000, the film earned $157,563,598 theatrically - a 688% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Hustlers?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does Hustlers's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $20,000,000, Hustlers is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 12 Years a Slave (2013, $20,000,000); 21 Grams (2003, $20,000,000); 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994, $20,000,000).
Did Hustlers (2019) 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 Hustlers?
The theatrical ROI was 687.8%, calculated as ($157,563,598 − $20,000,000) ÷ $20,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Hustlers (2019) win?
25 wins & 79 nominations total.
Who directed Hustlers and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Lorene Scafaria, written by Lorene Scafaria, shot by Todd Banhazl, edited by Kayla Emter.
Where was Hustlers filmed?
Hustlers was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Hustlers
Official Trailer
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