Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Budget
AdventureComedyFantasyFamily1h 38mUpdated
Synopsis
Get ready for the wildest and most adventure-filled Night At the Museum ever as Larry spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.
What is the budget of Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb?
"Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb," an adventure released in 2014, was directed by Shawn Levy and stars Ben Stiller, Robin Williams. The production budget was $127,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for adventure productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an adventure 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.
- Production: On January 21, 2010, co-writer Thomas Lennon said to Access Hollywood, "I think it's a really outstanding idea to do Night at the Museum 3, in fact.
What were the major cost factors in Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb."
- Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
- Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
How Does Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $127,000,000, Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Dinosaur (2000): Budget $127,500,000, Worldwide Gross $354,248,063
- Artemis Fowl (2020): Budget $125,000,000
- Assassin's Creed (2016): Budget $125,000,000, Worldwide Gross $240,700,000
- Batman & Robin (1997): Budget $125,000,000, Worldwide Gross $238,207,122
- Chaos Walking (2021): Budget $125,000,000, Worldwide Gross $26,508,132
The median budget for wide-release adventure films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb Box Office Performance
"Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb" earned $113,746,621 domestically and $363,204,635 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $127,000,000, 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 "Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb," that break-even threshold was roughly $254,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $363,204,635, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $127,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $363,204,635
- Net Return: $236,204,635
- ROI: approximately 186%
At 186%, "Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb" earned roughly $2.86 for every $1 invested in production.
Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb Production History
Alan Silvestri returned to score the final installment of the trilogy. Varèse Sarabande released a soundtrack album of the score on January 6, 2015.
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 5 nominations total
Critical Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a approval rating, based on 115 reviews, with an average score of 4.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "While not without its moments, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is a less-than-inspired sendoff for the trilogy." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 47 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)?
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb was produced on a budget of $127,000,000. 20th Century Fox financed the third film in the franchise, with Shawn Levy returning to direct and co-produce through his 21 Laps Entertainment banner.
How much did Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb earn at the box office?
The film grossed $113,746,621 domestically and $249,398,895 internationally, for a worldwide total of $363,145,516. It opened to $17,084,228 in the United States during the weekend of December 19, 2014, finishing third behind The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and Annie.
Was this Robin Williams' last film?
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is one of two posthumous Robin Williams releases. Williams completed his work as Theodore Roosevelt before his death in August 2014. The film is dedicated to Williams and to Mickey Rooney, who also died in 2014 after appearing in the first two Night at the Museum films.
Who directed Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb?
Shawn Levy directed the third Night at the Museum, his third entry in the franchise after the 2006 original and Battle of the Smithsonian (2009). Levy went on to direct Free Guy (2021) and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), both of which set him up as one of the most commercially successful directors of the 2020s.
Where was Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb filmed?
Principal photography took place in London, England and at Vancouver Film Studios in British Columbia, Canada. The British Museum sequences were partially built as stage sets after the actual museum declined extensive filming, while exterior shots of the museum were captured at the real Bloomsbury location.
What did critics think of Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb?
The film received mixed-to-negative reviews, holding a 51% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 162 critics and a 47 out of 100 score on Metacritic. Critics felt the third entry was the weakest of the trilogy but praised its emotional valediction to Robin Williams.
Was Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb a hit?
Yes. Against a $127,000,000 production budget and an estimated $80,000,000 marketing spend, the film returned approximately $1.75 in worldwide gross for every $1 invested. The international share was 69%, well above the franchise norm and a sign that the brand played stronger overseas than domestically.
Did the franchise continue after Secret of the Tomb?
No live-action sequel was produced after Robin Williams' death made a true continuation difficult. Disney developed an animated Night at the Museum, Kahmunrah Rises Again, which premiered on Disney Plus in December 2022 with a new voice cast and no Williams replacement.
How much was Ben Stiller paid for Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb?
Ben Stiller reportedly received $15,000,000 against franchise back-end participation, his standard rate for the Night at the Museum series after the first installment's success. The compensation level placed him among the top-earning live-action family-film leads of the mid-2010s.
Is Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb available on streaming?
The film streams on Disney Plus, having moved to the service after Disney's 2019 acquisition of 21st Century Fox. The earlier two Night at the Museum films and the 2022 animated sequel are also on the platform.
Official Trailer
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