It Follows Budget
HorrorMystery1h 41mUpdated
Synopsis
For 19-year-old Jay, Autumn should be about school, boys, and weekends out at the lake. But after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, something, is following her. Faced with this burden, Jay and her friends must find a way to escape the horrors that seem to be only a few steps behind.
What is the budget of It Follows?
"It Follows," a horror released in 2015, was directed by David Robert Mitchell and stars Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist. The production budget was $2,300,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for horror productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a horror production like this include:
- Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup: Horror productions invest disproportionately in practical effects , prosthetic applications, animatronics, blood and gore effects, and creature suits. A single hero creature suit can cost $50,000 to 200,000.
- Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography: Creating dread through environment is essential. Abandoned locations must be secured and dressed, lighting rigs designed for shadow and tension, and sets built to enable specific camera movements and reveals.
- Sound Design & Score: Horror is arguably the most sound-dependent genre. Foley work, ambient textures, frequency manipulation, and jump-scare stingers require specialized sound designers working with unconventional techniques.
What were the major cost factors in It Follows?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "It Follows."
- Practical Effects: Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Atmospheric Production Design: Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Sound Design: Sound Design & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
How Does It Follows's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $2,300,000, It Follows sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989): Budget $2,300,000, Worldwide Gross $7,724,701
- Possession (1981): Budget $2,400,000, Worldwide Gross $1,200,000
- Silenced (2011): Budget $2,200,000, Worldwide Gross $31,500,000
- 12th Fail (2023): Budget $2,400,000, Worldwide Gross $8,300,000
- A Clockwork Orange (1971): Budget $2,200,000, Worldwide Gross $27,033,812
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
It Follows Box Office Performance
"It Follows" earned $14,674,076 domestically and $23,374,076 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $2,300,000, 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 "It Follows," that break-even threshold was roughly $4,600,000. With worldwide earnings of $23,374,076, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $2,300,000
- Worldwide Gross: $23,374,076
- Net Return: $21,074,076
- ROI: approximately 916.3%
At 916.3%, "It Follows" earned roughly $10.16 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
25 wins & 44 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make It Follows (2015)?
The production budget was $2,300,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $1,150,000 - $1,840,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $3,450,000 - $4,140,000.
How much did It Follows (2015) earn at the box office?
It Follows grossed $14,674,076 domestic, $8,700,000 international, totaling $23,374,076 worldwide.
Was It Follows (2015) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $2,300,000 and estimated total costs of ~$5,750,000, the film earned $23,374,076 theatrically - a 916% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing It Follows?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design.
How does It Follows's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $2,300,000, It Follows is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989, $2,300,000); Possession (1981, $2,400,000); Silenced (2011, $2,200,000).
Did It Follows (2015) 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 It Follows?
The theatrical ROI was 916.3%, calculated as ($23,374,076 − $2,300,000) ÷ $2,300,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did It Follows (2015) win?
25 wins & 44 nominations total.
Who directed It Follows and who were the key crew members?
Directed by David Robert Mitchell, written by David Robert Mitchell, shot by Mike Gioulakis, with music by Rich Vreeland, edited by Julio Perez IV.
Where was It Follows filmed?
It Follows was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
It Follows
Official Trailer
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