Last Christmas Budget
ComedyDramaRomance1h 43mUpdated
Synopsis
A selfish woman meets a mysterious young man during the Christmas season who brings out the best in her. But is he too good to be true? From the director of Bridesmaids and A Simple Favor, starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding, with music from the legendary George Michael.
What is the budget of Last Christmas?
"Last Christmas," a comedy released in 2019, was directed by Paul Feig and stars Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding. The production budget was $30,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for comedy productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a comedy production like this include:
- Talent Salaries & Producing Deals: Established comedic talent can command $15 to 20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals.
- Production & Location Filming: While comedies generally avoid the VFX costs of action films, location shooting in recognizable cities or exotic locales adds meaningful production expense.
- Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising): Comedies rely heavily on marketing to build opening-weekend momentum.
What were the major cost factors in Last Christmas?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Last Christmas."
- Talent Salaries: Talent Salaries & Producing Deals is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Production: Production & Location Filming is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Marketing: Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
How Does Last Christmas's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $30,000,000, Last Christmas sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- A Hologram for the King (2016): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $9,169,507
- A Lot Like Love (2005): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,886,719
- Big Momma's House (2000): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $173,959,438
- Crazy Rich Asians (2018): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $238,539,198
- Doomsday (2008): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $22,472,631
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Last Christmas Box Office Performance
"Last Christmas" earned $35,150,750 domestically and $121,600,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $30,000,000, the film performed strongly at the box office.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Last Christmas," that break-even threshold was roughly $60,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $121,600,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $30,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $121,600,000
- Net Return: $91,600,000
- ROI: approximately 305.3%
At 305.3%, "Last Christmas" earned roughly $4.05 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 2 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Last Christmas (2019)?
The production budget was $30,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $15,000,000 - $24,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $45,000,000 - $54,000,000.
How much did Last Christmas (2019) earn at the box office?
Last Christmas grossed $35,150,750 domestic, $86,449,250 international, totaling $121,600,000 worldwide.
Was Last Christmas (2019) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $30,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$75,000,000, the film earned $121,600,000 theatrically - a 305% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Last Christmas?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns.
How does Last Christmas's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $30,000,000, Last Christmas is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: A Hologram for the King (2016, $30,000,000); A Lot Like Love (2005, $30,000,000); Big Momma's House (2000, $30,000,000).
Did Last Christmas (2019) 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 Last Christmas?
The theatrical ROI was 305.3%, calculated as ($121,600,000 − $30,000,000) ÷ $30,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Last Christmas (2019) win?
1 win & 2 nominations total.
Who directed Last Christmas and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Paul Feig, written by Emma Thompson, Bryony Kimmings, Greg Wise, shot by John Schwartzman, with music by Theodore Shapiro, edited by Brent White.
Where was Last Christmas filmed?
Last Christmas was filmed in United Kingdom. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Last Christmas
Official Trailer
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