Patriots Day Budget

What is the budget of Patriots Day?

"Patriots Day," an action released in 2016, was directed by Peter Berg and stars Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman. The production budget was $45,000,000, placing it in the mid-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.
• Development: The film was one of three originally proposed about the bombings, the other two being Boston Strong (based on the book of the same title), set to be directed by Daniel Espinosa and starring Casey Affleck; and Stronger, about bombing victim Jeff Bauman, starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

What were the major cost factors in Patriots Day?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Patriots Day."

• 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 Patriots Day's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $45,000,000, Patriots Day sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• 65 (2023): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $60,730,568
• Across the Universe (2007): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $29,625,761
• Aliens in the Attic (2009): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $57,881,056
• Bangkok Dangerous (2008): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,487,390
• Chicken Run (2000): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $224,834,564

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

Patriots Day Box Office Performance

"Patriots Day" earned $50,548,152 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $45,000,000, 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 "Patriots Day," that break-even threshold was roughly $90,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $50,548,152, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $45,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $50,548,152
• Net Return: $5,548,152
• ROI: approximately 12.3%

At 12.3%, "Patriots Day" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.

Patriots Day Production History

The film was one of three originally proposed about the bombings, the other two being Boston Strong (based on the book of the same title), set to be directed by Daniel Espinosa and starring Casey Affleck; and Stronger, about bombing victim Jeff Bauman, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. CBS Films purchased the rights to Boston Strong and merged it into the existing script. Stronger was produced separately and released on September 22, 2017; Lionsgate distributed that film in conjunction with its subsidiary Roadside Attractions.

Principal photography began on March 29, 2016, and was conducted in New York City; Boston; Quincy, Massachusetts; Los Angeles; New Orleans; and Philadelphia, with production offices and a soundstage set up in one of the Centennial Park warehouses in Peabody, Massachusetts. All interior scenes at the FBI warehouse headquarters, as well as exterior 'command tent' scenes, were shot there. Filming was arranged on Laurel Street in Watertown to recreate the shootout that took place there between police and the Tsarnaev brothers; but after objections by residents, town officials denied permission for the location.

Academy Award-winning composers and Nine Inch Nails members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were hired to write the musical score for the film. "Forever (2007 version)" by Dropkick Murphys plays during the closing credits of the film; however, it is not included on the film's soundtrack.

Awards and Recognition

• National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Critical Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 80% based on 237 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Patriots Day offers a stirring, solidly crafted tribute to the heroes of a real-life American tragedy without straying into exploitative action thriller territory." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare "A+" on an A+ to F scale.