

Novocaine Budget
Updated
Synopsis
When the girl of his dreams is kidnapped, a man incapable of feeling physical pain turns his rare condition into an unexpected advantage in the fight to rescue her.
What is the budget of Novocaine?
"Novocaine," an action released in 2025, was directed by Dan Berk, Robert Olsen and stars Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder. The production budget was $18,000,000, placing it in the low-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.
What were the major cost factors in Novocaine?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Novocaine."
- 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 Novocaine's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $18,000,000, Novocaine sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 127 Hours (2010): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $35,700,000
- A Dog's Way Home (2019): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,643,857
- Amadeus (1984): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $90,007,557
- And So It Goes (2014): Budget $18,000,000, Worldwide Gross $25,312,387
- Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004): Budget $18,000,000 , Gross $65,070,412
The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Novocaine Box Office Performance
"Novocaine" earned $19,861,854 domestically and $34,536,061 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $18,000,000, 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 "Novocaine," that break-even threshold was roughly $36,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $34,536,061, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $18,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $34,536,061
- Net Return: $16,536,061
- ROI: approximately 91.9%
At 91.9%, "Novocaine" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.
Awards and Recognition
3 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Novocaine (2025)?
The production budget was $18,000,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $9,000,000 - $14,400,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $27,000,000 - $32,400,000.
How much did Novocaine (2025) earn at the box office?
Novocaine grossed $19,861,854 domestic, $14,674,207 international, totaling $34,536,061 worldwide.
Was Novocaine (2025) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $34,536,061 against an estimated $45,000,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Novocaine?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson); visual effects, practical stunts, and A-list talent compensation.
How does Novocaine's budget compare to similar action films?
At $18,000,000, Novocaine is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2020s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 127 Hours (2010, $18,000,000); A Dog's Way Home (2019, $18,000,000); Amadeus (1984, $18,000,000).
Did Novocaine (2025) 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 Novocaine?
The theatrical ROI was 91.9%, calculated as ($34,536,061 − $18,000,000) ÷ $18,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Novocaine (2025) win?
3 nominations total.
Who directed Novocaine and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Dan Berk, Robert Olsen, written by Lars Jacobson, shot by Jacques Jouffret, with music by Lorne Balfe, Andrew Kawczynski, edited by Christian Wagner.
Where was Novocaine filmed?
Novocaine was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Novocaine
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