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Man on a Ledge key art
Man on a Ledge movie poster

Man on a Ledge Budget

2012PG-13ActionThrillerCrime1h 42m

Updated

Budget
$42,000,000
Domestic Box Office
$18,620,000
Worldwide Box Office
$46,221,189

Synopsis

An ex-cop-turned-con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel. The nearest New York Police Officer immediately responds to a screaming woman and calls dispatch. More officers arrive with SWAT and tactical command along with firefighters. The police then dispatch a police psychologist personally requested to talk him down from the ledge. However, things aren't as they seem.

What is the budget of Man on a Ledge?

"Man on a Ledge," an action released in 2012, was directed by Asger Leth and stars Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks. The production budget was $42,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for action productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an action 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.
  • Development: On September 3, 2010, it was confirmed that Jamie Bell had joined the cast. Filming began on October 30 in New York City. On November 1, Ed Harris and Titus Welliver were confirmed to have joined the cast.

What were the major cost factors in Man on a Ledge?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Man on a Ledge."

  • Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
  • Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
  • Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.

How Does Man on a Ledge's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $42,000,000, Man on a Ledge sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

  • Along Came Polly (2004): Budget $42,000,000, Worldwide Gross $178,300,000
  • Bloodshot (2020): Budget $42,000,000, Worldwide Gross $39,861,118
  • Brüno (2009): Budget $42,000,000, Worldwide Gross $138,805,831
  • Here Comes the Boom (2012): Budget $42,000,000, Worldwide Gross $73,100,000
  • High Crimes (2002): Budget $42,000,000, Worldwide Gross $63,781,810

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

Man on a Ledge Box Office Performance

"Man on a Ledge" earned $18,620,000 domestically and $46,221,189 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $42,000,000, 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 "Man on a Ledge," that break-even threshold was roughly $84,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $46,221,189, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

  • Production Budget: $42,000,000
  • Worldwide Gross: $46,221,189
  • Net Return: $4,221,189
  • ROI: approximately 10.1%

At 10.1%, "Man on a Ledge" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.

Man on a Ledge Production History

On September 3, 2010, it was confirmed that Jamie Bell had joined the cast. Filming began on October 30 in New York City. On November 1, Ed Harris and Titus Welliver were confirmed to have joined the cast.

The soundtrack to Man on a Ledge was released on January 27, 2012. James Southall commented that while "there is occasionally some reasonably tense action music", he found most of the score "very tired-sounding". Jørn Tillnes of Soundtrackgeek.com described it as "succeed[ing] in almost every way", but that he "would prefer more variation", as he found that "as a complete listening experience, you get bored with it".

Awards and Recognition

1 nomination total

Critical Reception

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said, "The movie cuts back and forth between two preposterous plot lines and uses the man on the ledge as a device to pump up the tension." According to Ebert, too much depends on Nick securing a leave from prison, escaping from two armed guards, reaching Manhattan, checking into the correct hotel room on the correct floor and not falling off prematurely. Anna Smith felt that the film "embrace[d] its own lunacy readily enough", but criticized the "ridiculous ending".

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did Man on a Ledge cost to make?

The production budget was $42,000,000. Summit Entertainment produced and distributed the thriller, with Di Bonaventura Pictures and Mosaic Media Group co-producing. The film was developed in the period immediately before Lionsgate's acquisition of Summit in January 2012.

How much did Man on a Ledge earn at the box office?

The film grossed $18,620,432 domestically and $27,800,000 internationally, for a worldwide total of approximately $46,400,000. It opened to $7,891,000 on January 27, 2012, finishing fifth behind The Grey, Underworld: Awakening, One for the Money, and Red Tails.

Who stars in Man on a Ledge?

Sam Worthington stars as ex-cop Nick Cassidy, who threatens to jump from a New York hotel ledge as a diversion for a parallel heist. Elizabeth Banks plays the police negotiator Lydia Mercer, with Jamie Bell and Genesis Rodriguez as the heist team, Ed Harris as real estate baron David Englander, and Anthony Mackie, Edward Burns, and Kyra Sedgwick in supporting roles.

Who directed Man on a Ledge?

Asger Leth directed the film, his narrative feature debut after the documentary Ghosts of Cite Soleil (2006). Leth has not directed another major theatrical feature since Man on a Ledge, returning instead to documentary work and shorter projects.

Where was Man on a Ledge filmed?

Principal photography took place in New York City, with the central hotel ledge sequences shot at The Roosevelt Hotel on East 45th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The production made extensive use of practical exterior work, with Sam Worthington performing many of the ledge stunts himself.

What did critics think of Man on a Ledge?

Reviews were largely negative, with a 33% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 39 out of 100 score on Metacritic. Critics praised the practical New York ledge sequences and Elizabeth Banks's lead performance but objected to a convoluted heist subplot and the broader logic of the film's central premise.

Was Man on a Ledge a box office bomb?

Yes. Against the $42,000,000 production budget and an estimated $25,000,000 to $30,000,000 in marketing spend, the worldwide gross of $46,400,000 represented a clear theatrical loss. Home video and cable broadcast revenue narrowed the gap but did not bring the film into profit.

How does Man on a Ledge compare to other Sam Worthington thrillers?

Man on a Ledge fell between Sam Worthington's major Avatar (2009, $237,000,000 budget, $2,923,700,000 worldwide) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022, $350,000,000 budget) appearances. As a star vehicle outside the Avatar franchise, it underperformed compared with Clash of the Titans (2010, $125,000,000 budget, $493,200,000 worldwide) and tracks closer to The Debt (2010, $20,000,000 budget, $45,600,000 worldwide).

Did Man on a Ledge win any awards?

The film received no major nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, or other top guild awards. Stunt coordination on the ledge sequences received industry attention within the Taurus World Stunt Awards community.

Where can I stream Man on a Ledge?

The film is available for digital purchase and rental on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play. It has rotated through Netflix, Hulu, Starz, and Paramount+ on subscription tiers since its 2012 home video debut, with availability shifting based on Lionsgate output deals.

Official Trailer

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