"Miracle at St. Anna" is a gripping war drama directed by Spike Lee, set during World War II. The film follows a group of African American soldiers from the 92nd Infantry Division, who find themselves trapped in a small Italian village after a fierce battle. As they navigate the complexities of war, they encounter a young Italian boy and a local woman, forging unexpected bonds amidst the chaos. The narrative unfolds through a series of flashbacks, revealing the soldiers' struggles with racism, loyalty, and the horrors of combat. Ultimately, the story explores themes of heroism, sacrifice, and the profound impact of war on both soldiers and civilians, culminating in a powerful message about humanity and redemption.

What is the budget of Miracle at St. Anna?

"Miracle at St. Anna," a drama released in 2008, was directed by Spike Lee and stars Derek Luke, Michael Ealy. The production budget was $45,000,000, 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: Lee described Miracle at St.

What were the major cost factors in Miracle at St. Anna?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Miracle at St. Anna."

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 Miracle at St. Anna's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $45,000,000, Miracle at St. Anna sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

65 (2023): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $60,730,568
Across the Universe (2007): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $29,625,761
Aliens in the Attic (2009): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $57,881,056
Bangkok Dangerous (2008): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,487,390
Chicken Run (2000): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $224,834,564

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2000s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Miracle at St. Anna Box Office Performance

"Miracle at St. Anna" earned $7,919,117 domestically and $9,323,833 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $45,000,000, 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 "Miracle at St. Anna," that break-even threshold was roughly $90,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $9,323,833, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $45,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $9,323,833
Net Return: −$35,676,167
ROI: approximately -79.3%

At -79.3%, "Miracle at St. Anna" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Miracle at St. Anna Production History

Lee described Miracle at St. Anna as an "ensemble piece" and aimed for authenticity in his depiction of American and German soldiers battling in Italy. In casting Italian actors, he held a casting call in Rome.

Principal photography for Miracle at St. Anna lasted nine weeks, beginning in October 2007 Filming then took place in Rome for one month; in New York for four days; in White Castle, Louisiana for two days; and in the Bahamas for two days. [Filming] Principal photography for Miracle at St.

Terence Blanchard composed the film score, marking his twelfth collaboration with Lee. For the score, he attempted to make a distinction between American and German soldiers. "That was first done through the use of percussion, using a higher-pitched, tighter sound for Germans, and a fuller-field drum sound for Americans," he explained.

Awards and Recognition

1 win & 10 nominations total

Critical Reception

The film has received mostly negative reviews from critics. On the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 33% based on 121 reviewer and a weighted average of 5.2/10. The website's consensus states "Miracle at St. Anna is a well-intentioned but overlong, disjointed affair that hits few of the right notes." Metacritic, another review aggregator, assigned the film a normalized score of 37% based on 31 reviews from mainstream critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".