In the Name of the Father Budget
Drama2h 13mUpdated
Synopsis
Young Belfastian Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis) admits that he was in London at the time of the incident. He also admits that he is not a model citizen, having committed a petty robbery while in London. He does however profess his innocence when it comes to the bombing of the Guildford Pub in London in 1974, the event which killed several people inside. A self-professed non-political person, he and his three co-accused, dubbed the Guildford Four, are thought to be provisional members of the I.R.A. Their self-professed innocence is despite each having signed a statement of guilt which they claim were signed under duress. Their case includes having provable alibis for the time frame of the bombing. And eventually, Joe McAndrew (Don Baker), a known I.R.A. member, admits to the bombing. Dubbed the Maguire Seven, seven others, primarily members of Gerry's extended family including his father Giuseppe (Pete Postlethwaite), are accused of being accessories to the bombing. Following on the work initiated by Giuseppe, Gerry works on a campaign to prove their collective innocence, this work with the assistance of compassionate lawyer Gareth Peirce (Dame Emma Thompson). As Gareth works on this campaign, she is faced with obstacle after obstacle placed by Robert Dixon (Corin Redgrave), who led the initial investigation and questioning of the four accused on behalf of the Police.
What is the budget of In the Name of the Father?
"In the Name of the Father," a drama released in 1993, was directed by Jim Sheridan and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite. The production budget was $13,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for drama productions of the 1990s.
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.
- Production: To prepare for the role of Gerry Conlon, Day-Lewis lost over in weight.
What were the major cost factors in In the Name of the Father?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "In the Name of the Father."
- 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 In the Name of the Father's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $13,000,000, In the Name of the Father sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Miss Sloane (2016): Budget $13,000,000, Worldwide Gross $9,101,546
- RoboCop (1987): Budget $13,000,000, Worldwide Gross $53,424,681
- The Godfather Part II (1974): Budget $13,000,000, Worldwide Gross $102,600,000
- The Holdovers (2023): Budget $13,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,513,270
- Black Swan (2010): Budget $13,000,000, Worldwide Gross $329,398,046
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
In the Name of the Father Box Office Performance
"In the Name of the Father" earned $25,096,862 domestically and $65,796,862 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $13,000,000, 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 "In the Name of the Father," that break-even threshold was roughly $26,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $65,796,862, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $13,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $65,796,862
- Net Return: $52,796,862
- ROI: approximately 406.1%
At 406.1%, "In the Name of the Father" earned roughly $5.06 for every $1 invested in production.
In the Name of the Father Production History
The film was shot primarily in Ireland. * South Lotts, Dublin, Ireland (used for opening Belfast scenes) * Sheriff Street, Dublin, Ireland (Sheriff Street flats complex (now demolished) used for riot scene) * Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland (as Park Royal Prison) * Liverpool, England (used for many London scenes) * Manchester Town Hall, Manchester, England (Courtyard used for external scenes of The Old Bailey) [Filming locations] The film was shot primarily in Ireland. * South Lotts, Dublin, Ireland (used for opening Belfast scenes) * Sheriff Street, Dublin, Ireland (Sheriff Street flats complex (now demolished) used for riot scene) * Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland (as Park Royal Prison) * Liverpool, England (used for many London scenes) * Manchester Town Hall, Manchester, England (Courtyard used for external scenes of The Old Bailey).
The soundtrack of the film includes the song "You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart", performed by Sinéad O'Connor and written by Bono, Gavin Friday, and Maurice Seezer. The soundtrack also includes "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" performed by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. However, the Bob Dylan Song "Like a Rolling Stone" was not included on the album due to licensing restrictions.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 7 Oscars. 7 wins & 41 nominations total
- Golden Bear
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make In the Name of the Father (1993)?
The production budget was $13,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $6,500,000 - $10,400,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $19,500,000 - $23,400,000.
How much did In the Name of the Father (1993) earn at the box office?
In the Name of the Father grossed $25,096,862 domestic, $40,700,000 international, totaling $65,796,862 worldwide.
Was In the Name of the Father (1993) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $13,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$32,500,000, the film earned $65,796,862 theatrically - a 406% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing In the Name of the Father?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, Emma Thompson); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does In the Name of the Father's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $13,000,000, In the Name of the Father is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Miss Sloane (2016, $13,000,000); RoboCop (1987, $13,000,000); The Godfather Part II (1974, $13,000,000).
Did In the Name of the Father (1993) 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 In the Name of the Father?
The theatrical ROI was 406.1%, calculated as ($65,796,862 − $13,000,000) ÷ $13,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did In the Name of the Father (1993) win?
Nominated for 7 Oscars. 7 wins & 41 nominations total.
Who directed In the Name of the Father and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Jim Sheridan, written by Jim Sheridan, Terry George, shot by Peter Biziou, with music by Trevor Jones, edited by Gerry Hambling.
Where was In the Name of the Father filmed?
In the Name of the Father was filmed in Ireland. The film was shot primarily in Ireland. * South Lotts, Dublin, Ireland (used for opening Belfast scenes) * Sheriff Street, Dublin, Ireland (Sheriff Street flats complex (now demolished) used for riot scene) * Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland (as Park Royal Prison) * Liverpool, England (used for many London scenes) * Manchester Town Hall, Manchester, England (Courtyard used for external scenes of The Old Bailey) [Filming locations] The film was shot primarily in Ireland. * South Lotts, Dublin, Ireland (used for opening Belfast scenes) * Sheriff Street, Dublin, Ireland (Sheriff Street flats complex (now demolished) used for riot scene) * Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland (as Park Royal Prison) * Liverpool, England (used for many London scenes) * Manchester Town Hall, Manchester, England (Courtyard used for external scenes of The Old Bailey). ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
In the Name of the Father
Official Trailer
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