Killers of the Flower Moon Budget

What is the budget of Killers of the Flower Moon?

"Killers of the Flower Moon," a crime released in 2023, was directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro. The production budget was $200,000,000, placing it in the blockbuster range for crime productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a crime production like this include:

• Talent & Director Compensation: Thrillers depend on compelling lead performances to sustain tension, making cast compensation a primary budget concern. Directors with proven thriller credentials command premium fees.
• Cinematography & Location Photography: Thriller aesthetics demand specific visual languages , surveillance-style photography, claustrophobic framing, or expansive location work across multiple cities or countries.
• Editorial & Sound Post-Production: Precision editing , controlling information flow, building suspense through pacing, and orchestrating reveals , requires extended post-production schedules.

How Does Killers of the Flower Moon's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $200,000,000, Killers of the Flower Moon sits in the blockbuster range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• 2012 (2009): Budget $200,000,000, Worldwide Gross $791,217,826
• Alice in Wonderland (2010): Budget $200,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,025,467,110
• Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023): Budget $200,000,000 , Gross $476,071,180
• Argylle (2024): Budget $200,000,000, Worldwide Gross $96,221,061
• Black Adam (2022): Budget $200,000,000, Worldwide Gross $393,452,111

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

Killers of the Flower Moon Box Office Performance

"Killers of the Flower Moon" earned $68,035,488 domestically and $158,722,599 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $200,000,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.

• Production Budget: $200,000,000
• Estimated Prints & Advertising (P&A): approximately $175,000,000
• Total Estimated Investment: approximately $375,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $158,722,599
• Net Return: approximately -$41,277,401
• ROI: approximately -21%

At approximately -21%, Killers of the Flower Moon did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

At -20.6%, "Killers of the Flower Moon" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 10 Oscars. 136 wins & 423 nominations total

Killers of the Flower Moon Production History

Imperative Entertainment acquired the adaptation rights to David Grann's book for $5 million in March 2016. By April 2017, Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert De Niro were all reported to be considering involvement. Paramount Pictures announced distribution in June 2019, and Apple TV+ joined as co-financier in May 2020. The production budget reached $200 to $215 million, making it the largest film budget ever spent in Oklahoma.

The original script centered on FBI agent Thomas Bruce White Sr., with DiCaprio cast in that role. However, DiCaprio questioned where "the heart of the story" truly lay, prompting a fundamental script revision. After consultations with Osage Nation members, DiCaprio's role changed to Ernest Burkhart. Lily Gladstone was cast as Mollie Kyle in February 2021, after impressing Scorsese with her performance in Certain Women (2016). DiCaprio received $30 million for his role.

Principal photography ran from April 19 to October 1, 2021, in Osage and Washington counties, Oklahoma. On May 13, 2021, Robert De Niro suffered a quadriceps injury off-set and returned to New York for treatment, though production stayed on schedule. Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto used film stock with the ENR Technicolor process for climactic scenes to enhance color contrast. The film's development had been plagued by delays, with filming originally targeted for early 2018, then rescheduled to summer 2019, March 2020, and finally April 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Critical Reception

Killers of the Flower Moon received universal acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 473 critics gave it a positive review, with an average rating of 8.5 out of 10. The consensus reads: "Enormous in runtime, theme, and achievement, Killers of the Flower Moon is a sobering appraisal of America's relationship with Indigenous peoples and yet another artistic zenith for Martin Scorsese and his collaborators." On Metacritic, it scored 89 out of 100 from 63 critics.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it an "epic of creeping, existential horror" and praised Lily Gladstone's "performance of tragic force." David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter defended the three-and-a-half-hour runtime as "fully justified." Critics particularly lauded the film's closing sequence for acknowledging the historical silencing of crimes against Indigenous peoples. Audiences gave the film an A-minus CinemaScore, with PostTrak reporting 88% positive.

Peter Debruge of Variety criticized the extended runtime, noting it "keeps going and going until everyone we care about is dead." Multiple critics observed that the film focuses more on Ernest and William King Hale's perspectives than on Osage characters, with Mollie feeling underdeveloped relative to her importance in the story. The film received 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, but won none, making it the third Scorsese film to receive 10 nominations without a single win.