Last Flag Flying Budget

What is the budget of Last Flag Flying?

"Last Flag Flying," a drama released in 2017, was directed by Richard Linklater and stars Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston. The production budget was $25,000,000, 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: In August 2016, it was announced that Richard Linklater would direct from a script co-written with Darryl Ponicsan, based on Ponicsan's novel, and Amazon Studios would produce and distribute the film.

What were the major cost factors in Last Flag Flying?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Last Flag Flying."

• 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 Last Flag Flying's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $25,000,000, Last Flag Flying 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 drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Last Flag Flying Box Office Performance

"Last Flag Flying" earned $1,872,950 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 "Last Flag Flying," that break-even threshold was roughly $50,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $1,872,950, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $25,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $1,872,950
• Net Return: −$23,127,050
• ROI: approximately -92.5%

At -92.5%, "Last Flag Flying" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Critical Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 76% based on 217 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Last Flag Flying balances raw drama against refreshing moments of humor in an impeccably cast film that wrestles with questions of patriotism, family, and grief." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.