Late Night Budget
ComedyDrama1h 42mUpdated
Synopsis
Katherine Newbury (Dame Emma Thompson) is a pioneer and legendary host on the late-night talk-show circuit. When she's accused of being a "woman who hates women", she puts affirmative action on the to-do list, and presto. Molly (Mindy Kaling) is hired as the one woman in Katherine's all-male writers' room. But Molly might be too little, too late, as the formidable Katherine also faces the reality of low ratings and a network that wants to replace her. Wanting to prove she's not merely a diversity hire who's disrupting the comfort of the brotherhood, Molly is determined to help Katherine revitalize her show and career--and possibly effect even bigger change at the same time.
What is the budget of Late Night?
"Late Night," a comedy released in 2019, was directed by Nisha Ganatra and stars Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling. The production budget was $4,000,000, placing it in the micro-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 Late Night?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Late Night."
- 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 Late Night's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $4,000,000, Late Night sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Peter Pan (1953): Budget $4,000,000, Worldwide Gross $87,400,000
- Farewell My Concubine (1993): Budget $4,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,400,000
- Dersu Uzala (1975): Budget $4,000,000
- Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003): Budget $4,000,000 , Gross $6,664,789
- Trainspotting (1996): Budget $4,000,000, Worldwide Gross $71,981,823
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Late Night Box Office Performance
"Late Night" earned $15,499,454 domestically and $22,384,741 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $4,000,000, 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 "Late Night," that break-even threshold was roughly $8,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $22,384,741, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $4,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $22,384,741
- Net Return: $18,384,741
- ROI: approximately 459.6%
At 459.6%, "Late Night" earned roughly $5.6 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 14 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Late Night (2019)?
The production budget was $4,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $2,000,000 - $3,200,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $6,000,000 - $7,200,000.
How much did Late Night (2019) earn at the box office?
Late Night grossed $15,499,454 domestic, $6,885,287 international, totaling $22,384,741 worldwide.
Was Late Night (2019) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $4,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$10,000,000, the film earned $22,384,741 theatrically - a 460% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Late Night?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, Max Casella); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns.
How does Late Night's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $4,000,000, Late Night is classified as a micro-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: Peter Pan (1953, $4,000,000); Farewell My Concubine (1993, $4,000,000); Dersu Uzala (1975, $4,000,000).
Did Late Night (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 Late Night?
The theatrical ROI was 459.6%, calculated as ($22,384,741 − $4,000,000) ÷ $4,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Late Night (2019) win?
1 win & 14 nominations total.
Who directed Late Night and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Nisha Ganatra, written by Mindy Kaling, shot by Matthew Clark, with music by Lesley Barber, edited by Eleanor Infante, David Rogers.
Where was Late Night filmed?
Late Night was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Late Night
Official Trailer
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