Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for Is This Thing On??

Directed by Bradley Cooper, with Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day leading the cast, Is This Thing On? was produced by Searchlight Pictures with a confirmed budget of $15,000,000, placing it in the low-budget category for comedy films.

At $15,000,000, Is This Thing On? was produced on a modest budget. Lower-budget films benefit from reduced break-even thresholds, with profitability achievable at approximately $37,500,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• A Dangerous Method (2011): Budget $15,000,000 | Gross $27,462,041 → ROI: 83% • Ben-Hur (1959): Budget $15,000,000 | Gross $164,000,000 → ROI: 993% • Land of the Dead (2005): Budget $15,000,000 | Gross $47,074,133 → ROI: 214% • Into the Wild (2007): Budget $15,000,000 | Gross $56,255,142 → ROI: 275% • King's Ransom (2005): Budget $15,000,000 | Gross $4,139,856 → ROI: -72%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ Talent Salaries & Producing Deals Established comedic talent can command $15–20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals. Comedy ensembles multiply this cost across several well-known performers.

▸ Production & Location Filming While comedies generally avoid the VFX costs of action films, location shooting in recognizable cities or exotic locales adds meaningful production expense.

▸ Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) Comedies rely heavily on marketing to build opening-weekend momentum. Studios typically spend 50–100% of the production budget on marketing, with comedy trailers and social media campaigns being particularly expensive.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day, Bradley Cooper, Christine Ebersole Key roles: Will Arnett as Alex Novak; Laura Dern as Tess Novak; Andra Day as Christine; Bradley Cooper as Balls

DIRECTOR: Bradley Cooper CINEMATOGRAPHY: Matthew Libatique MUSIC: James Newberry EDITING: Charlie Greene PRODUCTION: Searchlight Pictures, Archery Pictures, Lea Pictures, TSG Entertainment FILMED IN: United Kingdom, United States of America

Box Office Performance

Is This Thing On? earned $6,185,385 domestically and $3,700,053 internationally, for a worldwide total of $9,885,438. The film skewed heavily domestic (63%), suggesting strong North American appeal.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), Is This Thing On? needed approximately $37,500,000 to break even. The film fell $27,614,562 short in theatrical revenue. Ancillary streams (home media, streaming, TV) may have bridged the gap.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $9,885,438 Budget: $15,000,000 Net: $-5,114,562 ROI: -34.1%

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Unprofitable (Theatrical)

Is This Thing On? earned $9,885,438 against a $15,000,000 budget (-34% ROI), falling short of theatrical profitability. Ancillary revenue may have reduced the deficit.