Micmacs Budget
ActionComedyCrime1h 44mUpdated
Synopsis
Avid movie-watcher and video store clerk Bazil has had his life all but ruined by weapons of war. His father was killed by a landmine in Morocco and one fateful night a stray bullet from a nearby shootout embeds itself in his skull, leaving him on the verge of instantaneous death. Losing his job and his home, Bazil wanders the streets until he meets Slammer, a pardoned convict who introduces him to a band of eccentric junkyard dealers including Calculator, a math expert and statistician, Buster, a record-holder in human cannonball feats, Tiny Pete, an artistic craftsman of automatons, and Elastic Girl, a sassy contortionist. When chance reveals to Bazil the two weapons manufacturers responsible for building the instruments of his destruction, he constructs a complex scheme for revenge that his newfound family is all too happy to help set in motion.
What is the budget of Micmacs?
"Micmacs," an action released in 2009, was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and stars Dany Boon, Dominique Pinon. The production budget was $33,000,000, 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: Jean-Pierre Jeunet originally wrote the character of Bazil for Jamel Debbouze, but Debbouze left the project after three weeks, citing artistic and financial disagreements. The role was later given to Dany Boon.
What were the major cost factors in Micmacs?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Micmacs."
- 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 Micmacs's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $33,000,000, Micmacs sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 21 Bridges (2019): Budget $33,000,000, Worldwide Gross $49,900,000
- Exit Wounds (2001): Budget $33,000,000, Worldwide Gross $79,958,599
- Halloween Ends (2022): Budget $33,000,000, Worldwide Gross $105,400,796
- Bridesmaids (2011): Budget $32,500,000, Worldwide Gross $288,383,523
- A History of Violence (2005): Budget $32,000,000, Worldwide Gross $61,477,797
The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2000s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Micmacs Box Office Performance
"Micmacs" earned $1,262,079 domestically and $14,000,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $33,000,000, 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 "Micmacs," that break-even threshold was roughly $66,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $14,000,000, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $33,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $14,000,000
- Net Return: −$19,000,000
- ROI: approximately -57.6%
At -57.6%, "Micmacs" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Micmacs Production History
Jean-Pierre Jeunet originally wrote the character of Bazil for Jamel Debbouze, but Debbouze left the project after three weeks, citing artistic and financial disagreements. The role was later given to Dany Boon. Jeunet toured arms manufacturing plants in Belgium for research when developing the film.
The film was shot in several locations in and around Paris including the exterior of the Musée d'Orsay and the Crimée bridge on the Canal de l'Ourcq, where the Marcel Carné's 1946 film Gates of the Night was shot. Jeunet also filmed in several train stations, including Gare de Lyon, Gare Saint-Lazare, and the Charles De Gaulle airport train station. The scene with the two CEOs in the desert was inspired by Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West.
The film opens with the final sequence of The Big Sleep, with the original score by Max Steiner. Steiner's score is used throughout the film, but Jeunet also required original music. The music which appears is by Raphaël Beau, a school teacher with no prior professional recording or scoring experience. Beau composed music cues for various scenes. Jeunet loved his music but moved the songs to different scenes in the final version of the film.
Awards and Recognition
5 wins & 8 nominations total
Critical Reception
According to Box Office Mojo, Micmacs grossed $16,331,174 in the worldwide box office. Metacritic gave the film a score of 62 out of 100, based on 31 critics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Micmacs cost to make?
The production budget was approximately $30,000,000, financed primarily through French and Belgian sources including Warner Bros. France, Tapioca Films, and EuropaCorp. The figure reflects Jean-Pierre Jeunet's typical mid-range production scale established with Amélie (2001) and A Very Long Engagement (2004).
How much did Micmacs earn at the box office?
The film grossed $1,071,403 domestically through Sony Pictures Classics and approximately $12,000,000 internationally, for a worldwide total of approximately $13,100,000. It opened to a modest $61,000 in limited U.S. release on May 28, 2010.
Who directed Micmacs?
Jean-Pierre Jeunet directed and co-wrote the film with regular collaborator Guillaume Laurant. Jeunet had previously directed Delicatessen (1991), The City of Lost Children (1995), Alien: Resurrection (1997), Amélie (2001), and A Very Long Engagement (2004).
Who stars in Micmacs?
Dany Boon stars as Bazil, a video-store clerk left with a bullet lodged in his brain after a stray gunshot. Supporting cast includes Jeunet regulars Dominique Pinon and Yolande Moreau, along with Andre Dussollier, Nicolas Marie, and Marie-Julie Baup.
What is the original French title of Micmacs?
The full original title is Micmacs a tire-larigot, a French idiomatic phrase meaning roughly nonstop shenanigans or wild goings-on. Sony Pictures Classics shortened it to Micmacs for English-speaking markets.
Where was Micmacs filmed?
Principal photography took place at Studio Eclair in Epinay-sur-Seine outside Paris and on location in Paris itself, including elaborate sequences staged in scrapyards and rooftop ironwork settings. The production made extensive use of practical sets and miniatures consistent with Jeunet's style.
What did critics think of Micmacs?
The film received mixed-to-positive reviews, with a 65% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 61 out of 100 score on Metacritic. Critics praised the visual invention and ensemble performances but felt the satirical attack on the international arms industry lacked the emotional resonance of Amélie.
Did Micmacs win any awards?
The film won the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009 and received a Cesar Award nomination for Best Production Design. It did not match the awards reach of Amelie, which had received five Oscar nominations.
How does Micmacs compare to Amelie?
Micmacs shares Jeunet's signature warm color palette, ensemble of eccentric characters, and intricate visual gags, but trades the romantic optimism of Amelie (2001, $10,000,000 budget, $174,200,000 worldwide) for a satirical critique of arms dealing. The result is a more polarizing film with significantly smaller commercial reach.
Where can I stream Micmacs?
The film is available for digital rental and purchase on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play. It has periodically rotated through the Criterion Channel and the Sony Pictures Classics library on subscription platforms.
Official Trailer
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