A film that explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart. Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth 1. Each young Queen beholds her “sister” in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones—and change the course of history.

What is the budget of Mary Queen of Scots?

"Mary Queen of Scots," a drama released in 2018, was directed by Josie Rourke and stars Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie. 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: The film was originally planned to be a Scarlett Johansson vehicle, scheduled to begin shooting in mid-2007 on a $25 to 30 million budget.

What were the major cost factors in Mary Queen of Scots?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Mary Queen of Scots."

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 Mary Queen of Scots's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $25,000,000, Mary Queen of Scots 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.

Mary Queen of Scots Box Office Performance

"Mary Queen of Scots" earned $16,468,499 domestically and $46,712,809 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $25,000,000, 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 "Mary Queen of Scots," that break-even threshold was roughly $50,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $46,712,809, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $25,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $46,712,809
Net Return: $21,712,809
ROI: approximately 86.9%

At 86.9%, "Mary Queen of Scots" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.

Mary Queen of Scots Production History

Max Richter provided a fairly-modern musical score blending with the 16th century periodic music, as Rourke gave him creative freedom to experiment on the score. The score consisted of instruments with a "female voice" such as the cor anglais,being used for Mary's voice,the viol and harp, while drums, bass and percussion were used for the male characters and their quest in the battlefield. The score, recorded at the Air Studios in London and performed by 110-piece orchestra and 12-member female choir from London Voices, released by Deutsche Grammophon on 7 December 2018..

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 8 wins & 31 nominations total

Critical Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, "Mary Queen of Scots delivers uneven period political thrills while offering a solid showcase for the talents of its well-matched leads." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, based on 47 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, with 38% saying they would definitely recommend it.