Judas and the Black Messiah Budget

What is the budget of Judas and the Black Messiah?

"Judas and the Black Messiah," a drama released in 2021, was directed by Shaka King and stars Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield. The production budget was $26,000,000, 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.
• Casting: In February 2019, it was announced Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield had joined the cast of the film, with Ryan Coogler producing and Warner Bros.

What were the major cost factors in Judas and the Black Messiah?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Judas and the Black Messiah."

• 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 Judas and the Black Messiah's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $26,000,000, Judas and the Black Messiah sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Flatliners (1990): Budget $26,000,000, Worldwide Gross $61,489,265
• Freaky Friday (2003): Budget $26,000,000, Worldwide Gross $160,846,332
• Emilia Pérez (2024): Budget $26,000,000, Worldwide Gross $16,317,120
• Motherless Brooklyn (2019): Budget $26,000,000, Worldwide Gross $18,377,736
• Self/less (2015): Budget $26,000,000, Worldwide Gross $31,807,156

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Judas and the Black Messiah Box Office Performance

"Judas and the Black Messiah" earned $5,478,009 domestically and $6,416,063 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $26,000,000, 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 "Judas and the Black Messiah," that break-even threshold was roughly $52,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $6,416,063, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $26,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $6,416,063
• Net Return: −$19,583,937
• ROI: approximately -75.3%

At -75.3%, "Judas and the Black Messiah" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Judas and the Black Messiah Production History

In February 2019, it was announced Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield had joined the cast of the film, with Ryan Coogler producing and Warner Bros. Pictures distributing. with Algee Smith being cast the following month.

Principal photography began in Cleveland, Ohio on October 21, 2019. On November 25 and 26, 2019, filming took place at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. After 42 days, production concluded on December 19, 2019.

Two soundtrack albums were released for the film. The first, titled Judas and the Black Messiah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), featured incerpts from the film's score composed by Mark Isham and Craig Harris. It was released on February 12, 2021 by WaterTower Music.

Awards and Recognition

Won 2 Oscars. 45 wins & 85 nominations total

• Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya (93rd Academy Awards)
• CCXP Awards

Critical Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 96% of 358 critic reviews were positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "An electrifying dramatization of historical events, Judas and the Black Messiah is a forceful condemnation of racial injustice , and a major triumph for its director and stars." According to Metacritic, which assigned a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 based on 49 critics, the film received "universal acclaim".