King Richard Budget

What is the budget of King Richard?

"King Richard," a drama released in 2021, was directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and stars Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. The production budget was $50,000,000, 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.
• Production: The project was announced in March 2019 with Will Smith set to play Williams, from Zach Baylin's screenplay, which appeared on the 2018 "Black List" of the most-liked unproduced screenplays.

What were the major cost factors in King Richard?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "King Richard."

• 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 King Richard's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $50,000,000, King Richard sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Angela's Ashes (1999): Budget $50,000,000, Worldwide Gross $13,042,112
• Dredd (2012): Budget $50,000,000, Worldwide Gross $41,037,742
• Lord of War (2005): Budget $50,000,000, Worldwide Gross $72,600,000
• Shall We Dance? (2004): Budget $50,000,000, Worldwide Gross $170,128,460
• The Iron Giant (1999): Budget $50,000,000, Worldwide Gross $23,300,000

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

King Richard Box Office Performance

"King Richard" earned $15,129,285 domestically and $39,400,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $50,000,000, 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 Richard," that break-even threshold was roughly $100,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $39,400,000, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $50,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $39,400,000
• Net Return: −$10,600,000
• ROI: approximately -21.2%

At -21.2%, "King Richard" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

King Richard Production History

Kris Bowers composed the film score, after previously working on Green's Monsters and Men (2018). He produced the musical score mostly through the help of a prepared piano, understanding how Venus and Serena changed the game of tennis, and used nails, ping pong balls and several other objects to use it as a percussive instrument along with drums. The film features the original song "Be Alive" by Beyoncé, released on November 12, 2021.

Awards and Recognition

Won 1 Oscar. 49 wins & 141 nominations total

• BET Award for Best Movie

Critical Reception

On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 53 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it a 94% positive score, with 89% saying they would definitely recommend it. Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times described the film as "an engrossing family drama that doubles as a sharp rethink of how a family operates within the overlapping, often overbearing spheres of race, class, sports and celebrity."