Me Before You Budget
DramaRomance1h 50mUpdated
Synopsis
Louisa Clark lives in a quaint town in the English countryside. With no clear direction in her life, the quirky and creative 26-year-old goes from one job to the next in order to help her tight-knit family make ends meet. Her normally cheery outlook is put to the test, however, when she faces her newest career challenge. Taking a job at the local "castle", she becomes caregiver and companion to Will Traynor, a wealthy young banker who became wheelchair bound in an accident two years prior, and whose whole world changed dramatically in the blink of an eye. No longer the adventurous soul he once was, the now cynical Will has all but given up. That is until Lou determines to show him that life is worth living. Embarking together on a series of adventures, both Lou and Will get more than they bargained for, and find their lives—and hearts—changing in ways neither one could have imagined.
What is the budget of Me Before You?
"Me Before You," a drama released in 2016, was directed by Thea Sharrock and stars Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin. The production budget was $20,000,000, 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.
- Development: On 2 April 2014, it was announced Thea Sharrock would direct the film.
What were the major cost factors in Me Before You?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Me Before You."
- 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 Me Before You's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $20,000,000, Me Before You sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 12 Years a Slave (2013): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $187,000,000
- 21 Grams (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $60,427,839
- 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $11,798,854
- A Guy Thing (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,400,000
- A Most Violent Year (2014): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $12,007,070
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Me Before You Box Office Performance
"Me Before You" earned $56,245,075 domestically and $207,945,075 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $20,000,000, 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 "Me Before You," that break-even threshold was roughly $40,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $207,945,075, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $20,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $207,945,075
- Net Return: $187,945,075
- ROI: approximately 939.7%
At 939.7%, "Me Before You" earned roughly $10.4 for every $1 invested in production.
Me Before You Production History
On 2 April 2014, it was announced Thea Sharrock would direct the film. Before casting, Emilia Clarke knew she wanted to audition for this role, saying, "That's just kind of an interesting concoction I hadn't read before". On 2 September 2014, Clarke and Sam Claflin were cast in the film. with Jenna Coleman and Charles Dance cast on 2 April 2015.
Principal photography began on 29 April 2015 and ended on 26 June 2015. The film was shot in various locations in the United Kingdom, including: *Pembroke Castle in Pembroke, Wales (the Traynors' estate); *Wytham Abbey in Oxfordshire, England (the Traynors' home within the castle walls); *Sandown Park Racecourse in Esher, Surrey, England (horse race and airport check-in scenes); *Harrow, London (Lou's family home) and Chenies Manor House in Chenies, Buckinghamshire, England (wedding scenes); and *Mallorca, Spain, which stands in for Mauritius. [Filming] Principal photography began on 29 April 2015 and ended on 26 June 2015.
Awards and Recognition
6 wins & 6 nominations total
Critical Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 54% based on reviews from 180 critics, and an average rating of 5.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Me Before You benefits from Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin's alluring chemistry, although it isn't enough to compensate for its clumsy treatment of a sensitive subject." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 51 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Me Before You (2016)?
The production budget was $20,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $10,000,000 - $16,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $30,000,000 - $36,000,000.
How much did Me Before You (2016) earn at the box office?
Me Before You grossed $56,245,075 domestic, $151,700,000 international, totaling $207,945,075 worldwide.
Was Me Before You (2016) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $20,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$50,000,000, the film earned $207,945,075 theatrically - a 940% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Me Before You?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McTeer); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does Me Before You's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $20,000,000, Me Before You is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 12 Years a Slave (2013, $20,000,000); 21 Grams (2003, $20,000,000); 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994, $20,000,000).
Did Me Before You (2016) 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 Me Before You?
The theatrical ROI was 939.7%, calculated as ($207,945,075 − $20,000,000) ÷ $20,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Me Before You (2016) win?
6 wins & 6 nominations total.
Who directed Me Before You and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Thea Sharrock, written by Scott Neustadter, Jojo Moyes, Michael H. Weber, shot by Remi Adefarasin, with music by Craig Armstrong, edited by John Wilson.
Where was Me Before You filmed?
Me Before You was filmed in United States of America. Principal photography began on 29 April 2015 and ended on 26 June 2015. The film was shot in various locations in the United Kingdom, including: *Pembroke Castle in Pembroke, Wales (the Traynors' estate); *Wytham Abbey in Oxfordshire, England (the Traynors' home within the castle walls); *Sandown Park Racecourse in Esher, Surrey, England (horse race and airport check-in scenes); *Harrow, London (Lou's family home) and Chenies Manor House in Chenies, Buckinghamshire, England (wedding scenes); and *Mallorca, Spain, which stands in for Mauritius. [Filming] Principal photography began on 29 April 2015 and ended on 26 June 2015. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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Me Before You
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