Paris, Texas Budget
Drama2h 25mUpdated
Synopsis
A man wanders out of the desert after a four year absence. His brother finds him, and together they return to L.A. to reunite the man with his young son. Soon after, he and the boy set out to locate the mother of the child, who left shortly after the man disappeared.
What is the budget of Paris, Texas?
"Paris, Texas," a drama released in 1984, was directed by Wim Wenders and stars Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski. The production budget was $1,750,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for drama productions of the 1980s.
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.
- Casting: Harry Dean Stanton had appeared in many films before Paris, Texas, with small roles in Cool Hand Luke and a big part in Repo Man, But Wenders said Stanton was unsure about his part, and about the age disparity between himself and Nastassja Kinski.
What were the major cost factors in Paris, Texas?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Paris, Texas."
- 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 Paris, Texas's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $1,750,000, Paris, Texas sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Sunset Boulevard (1950): Budget $1,752,000, Worldwide Gross $5,000,000
- Dog Day Afternoon (1975): Budget $1,800,000, Worldwide Gross $56,665,856
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964): Budget $1,800,000 , Gross $9,500,000
- mid90s (2018): Budget $1,700,000, Worldwide Gross $9,303,022
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): Budget $1,800,000, Worldwide Gross $57,004,513
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Paris, Texas Box Office Performance
"Paris, Texas" earned $2,181,987 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $1,750,000, 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 "Paris, Texas," that break-even threshold was roughly $3,500,000. With worldwide earnings of $2,181,987, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $1,750,000
- Worldwide Gross: $2,181,987
- Net Return: $431,987
- ROI: approximately 24.7%
At 24.7%, "Paris, Texas" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.
Paris, Texas Production History
Harry Dean Stanton had appeared in many films before Paris, Texas, with small roles in Cool Hand Luke and a big part in Repo Man, But Wenders said Stanton was unsure about his part, and about the age disparity between himself and Nastassja Kinski. Kinski wrote a diary for the character Jane to develop her backstory, imagining her emigrating from Europe and receiving more affection from Travis than she had from anyone else. According to Stockwell, in early drafts, Walt traveled with Hunter, Travis, and Anne until Anne turned back to Los Angeles and Walt became lost in the desert, paralleling Travis in the first scene.
Wenders said the film was shot very quickly, in just over a month, with only a small group working the last weeks. There was a break in shooting during which the script was completed. Filmmaker Allison Anders worked as a production assistant on the film Filming largely occurred in Fort Stockton and Marathon in West Texas's Trans-Pecos region.
Awards and Recognition
Won 1 BAFTA Award16 wins & 12 nominations total
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Palme d'Or
Critical Reception
Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars, writing: "Paris, Texas is a movie with the kind of passion and willingness to experiment that was more common fifteen years ago than it is now. It has more links with films like Five Easy Pieces and Easy Rider and Midnight Cowboy than with the slick arcade games that are the box-office winners of the 1980s. It is true, deep, and brilliant". Varietys Holly Willis praised the cinematography and credited Wenders for a worthy European portrait of the U.S.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Paris, Texas (1984)?
The production budget was $1,750,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $875,000 - $1,400,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $2,625,000 - $3,150,000.
How much did Paris, Texas (1984) earn at the box office?
Paris, Texas grossed $2,181,987 domestic, totaling $2,181,987 worldwide.
Was Paris, Texas (1984) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $2,181,987 against an estimated $4,375,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Paris, Texas?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production; international production across United Kingdom, Germany, France.
How does Paris, Texas's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $1,750,000, Paris, Texas is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Sunset Boulevard (1950, $1,752,000); Dog Day Afternoon (1975, $1,800,000); Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964, $1,800,000).
Did Paris, Texas (1984) 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 Paris, Texas?
The theatrical ROI was 24.7%, calculated as ($2,181,987 − $1,750,000) ÷ $1,750,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Paris, Texas (1984) win?
Won 1 BAFTA Award16 wins & 12 nominations total.
Who directed Paris, Texas and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Wim Wenders, written by Sam Shepard, L.M. Kit Carson, shot by Robby Müller, with music by Ry Cooder, edited by Peter Przygodda.
Where was Paris, Texas filmed?
Paris, Texas was filmed in United Kingdom, Germany, France. Wenders said the film was shot very quickly, in just over a month, with only a small group working the last weeks. There was a break in shooting during which the script was completed. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Paris, Texas
Official Trailer
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