Matilda Budget
ComedyFamilyFantasy1h 38mUpdated
Synopsis
Matilda Wormwood is an exquisite and intelligent little girl. Unfortunately, Matilda is misunderstood by her family because she is very different from their ways of life. As time passes, Matilda finally starts school that has a kindly teacher, loyal friends and a sadistic principal. As she gets fed up with the constant cruelty, Matilda begins to realize that she has a gift of telekinetic powers. After some days of practice, Matilda suddenly turns the tables to stand up to her parents and outwit the principal.
What is the budget of Matilda?
"Matilda," a comedy released in 1996, was directed by Danny DeVito and stars Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito. The production budget was $36,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for comedy productions of the 1990s.
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 Matilda?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Matilda."
- 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 Matilda's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $36,000,000, Matilda sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Cradle Will Rock (1999): Budget $36,000,000, Worldwide Gross $2,900,000
- A Star Is Born (2018): Budget $36,000,000, Worldwide Gross $436,388,866
- Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (2025): Budget $36,000,000, Worldwide Gross $239,502,619
- Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015): Budget $36,000,000, Worldwide Gross $64,800,000
- Amistad (1997): Budget $36,000,000, Worldwide Gross $44,229,441
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Matilda Box Office Performance
"Matilda" earned $33,459,416 domestically and $33,500,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $36,000,000, 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 "Matilda," that break-even threshold was roughly $72,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $33,500,000, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $36,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $33,500,000
- Net Return: −$2,500,000
- ROI: approximately -6.9%
At -6.9%, "Matilda" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
3 wins & 7 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Matilda (1996)?
The production budget was $36,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $18,000,000 - $28,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $54,000,000 - $64,800,000.
How much did Matilda (1996) earn at the box office?
Matilda grossed $33,459,416 domestic, $40,584 international, totaling $33,500,000 worldwide.
Was Matilda (1996) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $33,500,000 against an estimated $90,000,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Matilda?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns.
How does Matilda's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $36,000,000, Matilda is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Cradle Will Rock (1999, $36,000,000); A Star Is Born (2018, $36,000,000); Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (2025, $36,000,000).
Did Matilda (1996) 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 Matilda?
The theatrical ROI was -6.9%, calculated as ($33,500,000 − $36,000,000) ÷ $36,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Matilda (1996) win?
3 wins & 7 nominations total.
Who directed Matilda and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Danny DeVito, written by Nicholas Kazan, Robin Swicord, shot by Stefan Czapsky, with music by David Newman, edited by Lynzee Klingman, Brent White.
Where was Matilda filmed?
Matilda was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Matilda
Official Trailer
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