What is the budget of Out of the Furnace?

"Out of the Furnace," a thriller released in 2013, was directed by Scott Cooper and stars Christian Bale, Zoe Saldaña. The production budget was $22,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for thriller productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a thriller production like this include:

Talent & Director Compensation: Thrillers depend on compelling lead performances to sustain tension, making cast compensation a primary budget concern. Directors with proven thriller credentials command premium fees.
Cinematography & Location Photography: Thriller aesthetics demand specific visual languages , surveillance-style photography, claustrophobic framing, or expansive location work across multiple cities or countries.
Editorial & Sound Post-Production: Precision editing , controlling information flow, building suspense through pacing, and orchestrating reveals , requires extended post-production schedules.
Development: The film was produced by Relativity Media, Appian Way Productions, Red Granite Pictures, and Scott Free Productions, with Jeff Waxman, Tucker Tooley, Brooklyn Weaver, Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland, Joe Gatta, Danny Dimbort, and Christian Mercuri serving as executive producers.

What were the major cost factors in Out of the Furnace?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Out of the Furnace."

Talent: Talent & Director Compensation is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.
Cinematography: Cinematography & Location Photography is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.
Editorial: Editorial & Sound Post-Production is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.

How Does Out of the Furnace's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $22,000,000, Out of the Furnace sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

12 Rounds (2009): Budget $22,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,280,326
Before I Go to Sleep (2014): Budget $22,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,669,776
Dances with Wolves (1990): Budget $22,000,000, Worldwide Gross $424,208,848
Derailed (2005): Budget $22,000,000, Worldwide Gross $57,479,076
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005): Budget $22,000,000 , Gross $45,109,561

The median budget for wide-release thriller films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Out of the Furnace Box Office Performance

"Out of the Furnace" earned $11,330,849 domestically and $15,400,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $22,000,000, 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 "Out of the Furnace," that break-even threshold was roughly $44,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $15,400,000, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $22,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $15,400,000
Net Return: −$6,600,000
ROI: approximately -30%

At -30%, "Out of the Furnace" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Out of the Furnace Production History

The film was produced by Relativity Media, Appian Way Productions, Red Granite Pictures, and Scott Free Productions, with Jeff Waxman, Tucker Tooley, Brooklyn Weaver, Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland, Joe Gatta, Danny Dimbort, and Christian Mercuri serving as executive producers. Director Scott Cooper read an article about Braddock, Pennsylvania, a declining steel industry town outside Pittsburgh, and the efforts to revitalize it, led by mayor John Fetterman. After visiting, Cooper was inspired to use the borough as the backdrop for a film.

Principal photography began in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area on April 13, 2012, and wrapped on June 1, 2012. The majority of filming took place in Braddock, and additional filming was in nearby North Braddock, Imperial, Rankin, and Swissvale. Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi shot the feature in anamorphic format on Kodak 35mm film.

The musical score to Out of the Furnace was composed by Dickon Hinchliffe. Originally, it was announced that Alberto Iglesias had reached an agreement to compose the score for the film. However, Hinchliffe later took over scoring duties.

Awards and Recognition

1 win & 10 nominations total

Critical Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an average approval rating of 53% based on 197 reviews, and an average rating of 5.91/10. The general consensus for the site says: "While it may not make the most of its incredible cast, Out of the Furnace is still so packed with talent that it's hard to turn away." Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 63 out of 100 based on 40 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.