Labyrinth Budget
AdventureFamilyFantasy1h 41mUpdated
Synopsis
Teenager Sarah is forced by her father and her stepmother to babysit her baby brother Toby while they are outside home. Toby does not stop crying and Sarah wishes that her stepbrother be taken by the Goblin King Jareth. Out of the blue, Toby stops crying and when Sarah looks for him in the cradle, she learns that her wish was granted and the Goblin King Jareth has taken him to his castle in the Goblin City in the middle of a labyrinth. Sarah repents and asks Jareth to give Toby back; but the Goblin King tells her that she has to rescue her brother before midnight. Soon Sarah teams up with some allies. Will they rescue Toby in time?
What is the budget of Labyrinth?
"Labyrinth," an adventure released in 1986, was directed by Jim Henson and stars David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly. The production budget was $25,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for adventure productions of the 1980s.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an adventure 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 Labyrinth?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Labyrinth."
- Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
- Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
How Does Labyrinth's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $25,000,000, Labyrinth sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 1408 (2007): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $133,000,000
- A Journal for Jordan (2021): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,700,000
- Abandon (2002): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $10,719,357
- All My Life (2020): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $2,000,000
- August Rush (2007): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $66,122,026
The median budget for wide-release adventure films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Labyrinth Box Office Performance
"Labyrinth" earned $13,723,253 domestically and $12,729,917 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $25,000,000, 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 "Labyrinth," that break-even threshold was roughly $50,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $12,729,917, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $25,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $12,729,917
- Net Return: −$12,270,083
- ROI: approximately -49.1%
At -49.1%, "Labyrinth" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award4 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Labyrinth (1986)?
The production budget was $25,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $12,500,000 - $20,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $37,500,000 - $45,000,000.
How much did Labyrinth (1986) earn at the box office?
Labyrinth grossed $13,723,253 domestic, $-993,336 international, totaling $12,729,917 worldwide.
Was Labyrinth (1986) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $12,729,917 against an estimated $62,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Labyrinth?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud); visual effects, practical stunts, and A-list talent compensation; international production across United Kingdom, United States of America.
How does Labyrinth's budget compare to similar adventure films?
At $25,000,000, Labyrinth is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release adventure films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 1408 (2007, $25,000,000); A Journal for Jordan (2021, $25,000,000); Abandon (2002, $25,000,000).
Did Labyrinth (1986) 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 Labyrinth?
The theatrical ROI was -49.1%, calculated as ($12,729,917 − $25,000,000) ÷ $25,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Labyrinth (1986) win?
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award4 nominations total.
Who directed Labyrinth and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Jim Henson, written by Terry Jones, Jim Henson, Dennis Lee, shot by Alex Thomson, with music by Trevor Jones, edited by John Grover.
Where was Labyrinth filmed?
Labyrinth was filmed in United Kingdom, United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Labyrinth
Official Trailer
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