Knight and Day Budget
ActionComedy1h 49mUpdated
Synopsis
"Knight and Day" is a thrilling action-comedy that follows the unexpected journey of June Havens, played by Cameron Diaz, who finds herself entangled in a whirlwind adventure with a mysterious secret agent named Roy Miller, portrayed by Tom Cruise. Their paths cross at an airport, where June's life takes a dramatic turn when Roy, on the run from dangerous operatives, inadvertently pulls her into a high-stakes chase across the globe. As they navigate through a series of explosive encounters and comedic mishaps, June discovers that Roy is not just a charming rogue but also a man with a complex past and a mission that could change the world. Amidst the chaos, romance blossoms, and June must decide whether to trust Roy or escape the madness. With a blend of humor, action, and unexpected twists, "Knight and Day" delivers an entertaining ride that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats.
What is the budget of Knight and Day?
"Knight and Day," an action released in 2010, was directed by James Mangold and stars Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz. The production budget was $117,000,000, placing it in the high-budget 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 Knight and Day?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Knight and Day."
- 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 Knight and Day's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $117,000,000, Knight and Day sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Dante's Peak (1997): Budget $116,000,000, Worldwide Gross $178,127,760
- Elysium (2013): Budget $115,000,000, Worldwide Gross $286,140,700
- Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003): Budget $120,000,000 , Gross $259,175,788
- Frankenstein (2025): Budget $120,000,000, Worldwide Gross $480,678
- Geostorm (2017): Budget $120,000,000, Worldwide Gross $221,600,160
The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Knight and Day Box Office Performance
"Knight and Day" earned $76,423,035 domestically and $261,989,769 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $117,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Knight and Day," that break-even threshold was roughly $234,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $261,989,769, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $117,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $261,989,769
- Net Return: $144,989,769
- ROI: approximately 123.9%
At 123.9%, "Knight and Day" earned roughly $2.24 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
3 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Knight and Day (2010)?
The production budget was $117,000,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $58,500,000 - $93,600,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $175,500,000 - $210,600,000.
How much did Knight and Day (2010) earn at the box office?
Knight and Day grossed $76,423,035 domestic, $185,566,734 international, totaling $261,989,769 worldwide.
Was Knight and Day (2010) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $261,989,769 against an estimated $292,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Knight and Day?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard); visual effects, practical stunts, and A-list talent compensation.
How does Knight and Day's budget compare to similar action films?
At $117,000,000, Knight and Day is classified as a big-budget production. The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Dante's Peak (1997, $116,000,000); Elysium (2013, $115,000,000); Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003, $120,000,000).
Did Knight and Day (2010) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What was the return on investment (ROI) for Knight and Day?
The theatrical ROI was 123.9%, calculated as ($261,989,769 − $117,000,000) ÷ $117,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Knight and Day (2010) win?
3 nominations total.
Who directed Knight and Day and who were the key crew members?
Directed by James Mangold, written by Patrick O'Neill, shot by Phedon Papamichael, with music by John Powell, edited by Michael McCusker, Quincy Z. Gunderson.
Where was Knight and Day filmed?
Knight and Day was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Knight and Day
Official Trailer
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