Miracle at St. Anna Budget
DramaWar2h 40mUpdated
Synopsis
"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".
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Miracle at St. Anna (2008) cost to make?
The production budget was $45,000,000. Touchstone Pictures and Walt Disney Studios distributed the film, with Spike Lee's 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks producing alongside the Italian production company On My Own.
How much did Miracle at St. Anna earn at the box office?
The film grossed $7,916,887 domestically and $1,418,000 internationally, for a worldwide total of approximately $9,300,000. It opened to a disappointing $3,425,000 on September 26, 2008, finishing eighth in a competitive autumn weekend.
Is Miracle at St. Anna based on a true story?
The film is a fictional drama inspired by the August 1944 Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre, in which Waffen-SS troops murdered approximately 560 Italian civilians in the Tuscan village. Spike Lee adapted James McBride's 2002 novel of the same name, which built a Buffalo Soldiers narrative around the documented atrocity.
Who directed Miracle at St. Anna?
Spike Lee directed the film. Miracle at St. Anna was Lee's eighteenth feature, following Inside Man (2006, $45,000,000 budget, $186,000,000 worldwide), and represented his most ambitious World War II historical undertaking.
Who stars in Miracle at St. Anna?
Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, and Omar Benson Miller play the four Buffalo Soldiers stranded behind enemy lines in occupied Tuscany. Italian and German cast members include Pierfrancesco Favino, Valentina Cervi, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a supporting role.
Where was Miracle at St. Anna filmed?
Principal photography took place in Italy in 2007, including extensive location work in Tuscany, the Apuan Alps, and in Rome at Cinecitta Studios. Lee shot at the actual Sant'Anna di Stazzema church, a controversial decision given the village's status as a memorial.
What did critics think of Miracle at St. Anna?
Reviews were mixed-to-negative, with a 32% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 49 out of 100 score on Metacritic. Critics praised the film's ambition and Lee's commitment to telling an under-represented Black wartime story but objected to the 160-minute runtime and tonal swings.
Was Miracle at St. Anna a box office bomb?
Yes. Against the $45,000,000 production budget and an estimated $25,000,000 to $30,000,000 in marketing spend, the worldwide gross of approximately $9,300,000 represented a severe theatrical loss. The result was considered one of the costliest disappointments of Touchstone's late-2000s release slate.
Did Spike Lee feud with Clint Eastwood over the film?
Yes. During promotion for Miracle at St. Anna, Spike Lee publicly criticized Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers (2006) and Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) for omitting Black soldiers from their World War II narratives. Eastwood responded sharply, calling Lee a "guy" who "should shut his face," and Lee returned criticism through several press cycles.
How does Miracle at St. Anna compare to other Spike Lee films?
Miracle at St. Anna significantly underperformed compared with Lee's commercial peak Inside Man (2006, $45,000,000 budget, $186,000,000 worldwide) and BlacKkKlansman (2018, $15,000,000 budget, $93,400,000 worldwide). It tracks closer to the disappointing results of She Hate Me (2004) and Bamboozled (2000).
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