Synopsis

When the child Arthur’s father is murdered, Vortigern, Arthur’s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy…whether he likes it or not.

What is the budget of King Arthur Legend of the Sword?

"King Arthur Legend of the Sword," an action released in 2017, was directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law. The production budget was $175,000,000, placing it in the blockbuster range for action productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

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

Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects: Action films allocate a substantial portion of their budget to choreographing and executing practical stunts, pyrotechnics, and CGI-heavy sequences.
Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director): A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation.
Production Design, Sets & Locations: Action films frequently require multiple international shooting locations, large-scale set construction, vehicle acquisitions and modifications, and specialized equipment , all of which drive production costs well above those of dialogue-driven genres.

What were the major cost factors in King Arthur Legend of the Sword?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "King Arthur Legend of the Sword."

Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.

How Does King Arthur Legend of the Sword's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $175,000,000, King Arthur Legend of the Sword sits in the blockbuster range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

47 Ronin (2013): Budget $175,000,000, Worldwide Gross $151,783,839
Cars 3 (2017): Budget $175,000,000, Worldwide Gross $383,925,276
Coco (2017): Budget $175,000,000, Worldwide Gross $814,641,172
Dolittle (2020): Budget $175,000,000, Worldwide Gross $251,410,631
Evan Almighty (2007): Budget $175,000,000, Worldwide Gross $174,440,724

The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

King Arthur Legend of the Sword Box Office Performance

"King Arthur Legend of the Sword" earned $39,175,066 domestically and $149,175,066 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $175,000,000, 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 "King Arthur Legend of the Sword," that break-even threshold was roughly $350,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $149,175,066, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $175,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $149,175,066
Net Return: −$25,824,934
ROI: approximately -14.8%

At -14.8%, "King Arthur Legend of the Sword" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.