Lion Budget

What is the budget of Lion?

"Lion," a drama released in 2016, was directed by Garth Davis and stars Dev Patel, Rooney Mara. The production budget was $12,000,000, placing it in the low-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.
• Casting: Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman were cast in the film in October 2014.

What were the major cost factors in Lion?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Lion."

• 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 Lion's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $12,000,000, Lion sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Goon (2012): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,985,158
• Jobs (2013): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,100,000
• All That Jazz (1979): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $37,823,676
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Budget $12,000,000 , Gross $71,923,560
• Wolfwalkers (2020): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,310,720

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Lion Box Office Performance

"Lion" earned $140,312,928 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $12,000,000, 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 "Lion," that break-even threshold was roughly $24,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $140,312,928, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

• Production Budget: $12,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $140,312,928
• Net Return: $128,312,928
• ROI: approximately 1069.3%

At 1069.3%, "Lion" earned roughly $11.69 for every $1 invested in production.

Lion Production History

Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman were cast in the film in October 2014. Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Priyanka Bose, Tannishtha Chatterjee, and Deepti Naval joined the cast in January 2015; Rooney Mara, David Wenham, and Divian Ladwa were cast in April; and Pallavi Sharda joined the cast in August.

Principal photography on the film began in January 2015 in Kolkata, India. Kidman filmed her scenes in Australia. [Filming] Principal photography on the film began in January 2015 in Kolkata, India. Kidman filmed her scenes in Australia.

Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka composed the film's score. Sia wrote the song "Never Give Up" for the film. Also included are Jimmy Radcliffe's "The Sun, the Sand and the Sea", performed by Picturetone Pete, and "Urvasi Urvasi" by A.

Awards and Recognition

• AACTA Award for Best Film: Iain Canning
• AACTA Award for Best Film: Emile Sherman
• AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
• AACTA Award for Best Sound: Robert Mackenzie
• AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Nicole Kidman
• AACTA Award for Best Editing
• AACTA Award for Best Direction
• AACTA Award for Best Costume Design

Critical Reception

The film received very positive reviews, with Patel's and Kidman's performances particularly praised. PostTrak reported that 92% of audience members gave the film a rating of either "excellent" or "very good".