Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for Kimi?

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, with Zoë Kravitz, Byron Bowers, Jaime Camil leading the cast, Kimi was produced by New Line Cinema with a confirmed budget of $3,500,000, placing it in the micro-budget category for thriller films.

At $3,500,000, Kimi was produced on a lean budget. Lower-budget films benefit from reduced break-even thresholds, with profitability achievable at approximately $8,750,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• Call Me by Your Name (2017): Budget $3,500,000 | Gross $43,143,046 → ROI: 1133% • Joe Bell (2020): Budget $3,500,000 | Gross $1,700,000 → ROI: -51% • The Rental (2020): Budget $3,500,000 | Gross $4,311,042 → ROI: 23% • Honey Boy (2019): Budget $3,500,000 | Gross $3,400,977 → ROI: -3% • First Reformed (2018): Budget $3,500,000 | Gross $3,988,612 → ROI: 14%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ 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.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Zoë Kravitz, Byron Bowers, Jaime Camil, Erika Christensen, Derek DelGaudio Key roles: Zoë Kravitz as Angela Childs; Byron Bowers as Terry Hughes; Jaime Camil as Antonio Rivas; Erika Christensen as Samantha Gerrity

DIRECTOR: Steven Soderbergh CINEMATOGRAPHY: Steven Soderbergh MUSIC: Cliff Martinez EDITING: Steven Soderbergh PRODUCTION: New Line Cinema, HBO Max FILMED IN: United States of America

Box Office Performance

Theatrical box office data is not publicly available for Kimi (2022). This may indicate a limited release, direct-to-streaming, or a release predating modern box office tracking.

Profitability Assessment

Insufficient publicly available data to assess profitability.

INDUSTRY IMPACT

PRODUCTION NOTES

▸ Production

On February 25, 2021, it was announced that Steven Soderbergh would direct the New Line Cinema feature Kimi with Zoë Kravitz on board to star. In March 2021, Byron Bowers, Jaime Camil, Jacob Vargas and Derek DelGaudio joined the cast. In April 2021, Erika Christensen and Devin Ratray joined the cast. Principal photography began in April 2021 in Los Angeles, where the majority of interior scenes were filmed. In May, the production moved to Seattle to film exterior scenes.