Moneyball Budget
Drama2h 14mUpdated
Synopsis
Oakland A's GM Billy Beane is handicapped with the lowest salary constraint in baseball. If he ever wants to win the World Series, Billy must find a competitive advantage. Billy is about to turn baseball on its ear when he uses statistical data to analyze and place value on the players he picks for the team.
What is the budget of Moneyball?
"Moneyball," a drama released in 2011, was directed by Bennett Miller and stars Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill. The production budget was $50,000,000, 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.
What were the major cost factors in Moneyball?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Moneyball."
- 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 Moneyball's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $50,000,000, Moneyball sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Angela's Ashes (1999): Budget $50,000,000, Worldwide Gross $13,042,112
- Dredd (2012): Budget $50,000,000, Worldwide Gross $41,037,742
- Lord of War (2005): Budget $50,000,000, Worldwide Gross $72,600,000
- Shall We Dance? (2004): Budget $50,000,000, Worldwide Gross $170,128,460
- The Iron Giant (1999): Budget $50,000,000, Worldwide Gross $23,300,000
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Moneyball Box Office Performance
"Moneyball" earned $75,605,492 domestically and $110,206,216 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $50,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Moneyball," that break-even threshold was roughly $100,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $110,206,216, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $50,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $110,206,216
- Net Return: $60,206,216
- ROI: approximately 120.4%
At 120.4%, "Moneyball" earned roughly $2.2 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 6 Oscars. 29 wins & 82 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Moneyball (2011)?
The production budget was $50,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $25,000,000 - $40,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $75,000,000 - $90,000,000.
How much did Moneyball (2011) earn at the box office?
Moneyball grossed $75,605,492 domestic, $34,600,724 international, totaling $110,206,216 worldwide.
Was Moneyball (2011) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $110,206,216 against an estimated $125,000,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Moneyball?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does Moneyball's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $50,000,000, Moneyball is classified as a mid-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: Angela's Ashes (1999, $50,000,000); Dredd (2012, $50,000,000); Lord of War (2005, $50,000,000).
Did Moneyball (2011) 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 Moneyball?
The theatrical ROI was 120.4%, calculated as ($110,206,216 − $50,000,000) ÷ $50,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Moneyball (2011) win?
Nominated for 6 Oscars. 29 wins & 82 nominations total.
Who directed Moneyball and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Bennett Miller, written by Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, Stan Chervin, shot by Wally Pfister, with music by Mychael Danna, edited by Christopher Tellefsen.
Where was Moneyball filmed?
Moneyball was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Moneyball
Official Trailer
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