Lara Croft Tomb Raider Budget

2001

AdventureActionFantasy1h 40m

Updated April 25, 2026

Budget

$115,000,000

Domestic Box Office

$131,168,070

Worldwide Box Office

$274,703,340

Synopsis

In "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," adventurer and archaeologist Lara Croft, portrayed by Angelina Jolie, embarks on a thrilling quest to uncover ancient artifacts and secrets. The story kicks off when Lara discovers that her late father, an esteemed archaeologist, has left behind clues leading to a powerful artifact known as the Triangle of Light. This mystical object is said to grant its possessor the ability to control time.

As Lara races against time, she faces off against the nefarious organization known as the Illuminati, led by the ruthless Manfred Powell. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Lara must navigate treacherous tombs, solve intricate puzzles, and engage in high-octane action sequences. Along the way, she uncovers not only the truth about her father's legacy but also her own strength and resilience as a formidable heroine. The film combines breathtaking visuals, heart-pounding adventure, and a strong female lead, making it a landmark in the action-adventure genre.

What is the budget of Lara Croft Tomb Raider?

"Lara Croft Tomb Raider," an adventure released in 2001, was directed by Simon West and stars Angelina Jolie, Iain Glen. The production budget was $115,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for adventure productions of its era.

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.
Casting: The announcement of the film generated significant discussion about who would be cast to play Lara Croft.

What were the major cost factors in Lara Croft Tomb Raider?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Lara Croft Tomb Raider."

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 Lara Croft Tomb Raider's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $115,000,000, Lara Croft Tomb Raider sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

Elysium (2013): Budget $115,000,000, Worldwide Gross $286,140,700
Monsters, Inc. (2001): Budget $115,000,000, Worldwide Gross $579,700,000
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999): Budget $115,000,000 , Gross $924,317,558
Borderlands (2024): Budget $115,000,000, Worldwide Gross $33,017,367
Triple Frontier (2019): Budget $115,000,000

The median budget for wide-release adventure films in the 2000s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider Box Office Performance

"Lara Croft Tomb Raider" earned $131,168,070 domestically and $274,703,340 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $115,000,000, 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 "Lara Croft Tomb Raider," that break-even threshold was roughly $230,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $274,703,340, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

Production Budget: $115,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $274,703,340
Net Return: $159,703,340
ROI: approximately 138.9%

At 138.9%, "Lara Croft Tomb Raider" earned roughly $2.39 for every $1 invested in production.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider Production History

The announcement of the film generated significant discussion about who would be cast to play Lara Croft. Numerous actresses (and non-actresses) were rumored to be on the shortlist, most notably Rhona Mitra (official model to Tomb Raider II), Jennifer Love Hewitt, Famke Janssen, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Hurley, Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Diane Lane, Demi Moore and Denise Richards. Neve Campbell turned down the role due to her commitments with the television series Party of Five.

Principal photography for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider took place from July 30 to November 30, 2000. Portions of the film were shot on location at the Ta Prohm temple, located in Angkor, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. The film was the first major motion picture to be shot in Cambodia since Lord Jim in 1964, following the country's occupation by the Khmer Rouge regime.

Awards and Recognition

4 wins & 21 nominations total

Critical Reception

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider received generally negative reviews from critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, of critic reviews are positive for the film, and the average rating of . The site's consensus is "Angelina Jolie is perfect for the role of Lara Croft, but even she can't save the movie from a senseless plot and action sequences with no emotional impact." Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 33 out of 100, based on reviews from 31 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B on scale of A to F.