Pet Sematary Budget
Horror1h 41mUpdated
Synopsis
Dr. Louis Creed, who, after relocating with his wife Rachel and their two young children from Boston to rural Maine, discovers a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near the family’s new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his unusual neighbor, Jud Crandall, setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences.
What is the budget of Pet Sematary?
"Pet Sematary," a horror released in 2019, was directed by Dennis Widmyer, Kevin Kölsch and stars Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz. The production budget was $21,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for horror productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a horror production like this include:
- Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup: Horror productions invest disproportionately in practical effects , prosthetic applications, animatronics, blood and gore effects, and creature suits. A single hero creature suit can cost $50,000 to 200,000.
- Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography: Creating dread through environment is essential. Abandoned locations must be secured and dressed, lighting rigs designed for shadow and tension, and sets built to enable specific camera movements and reveals.
- Sound Design & Score: Horror is arguably the most sound-dependent genre. Foley work, ambient textures, frequency manipulation, and jump-scare stingers require specialized sound designers working with unconventional techniques.
- Casting: On April 16, 2018, it was announced that Jason Clarke had been cast in the lead role of Louis Creed.
What were the major cost factors in Pet Sematary?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Pet Sematary."
- Practical Effects: Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Atmospheric Production Design: Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Sound Design: Sound Design & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
How Does Pet Sematary's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $21,000,000, Pet Sematary sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Blockers (2018): Budget $21,000,000, Worldwide Gross $94,017,294
- Death at a Funeral (2010): Budget $21,000,000, Worldwide Gross $49,050,886
- Everybody's Fine (2009): Budget $21,000,000, Worldwide Gross $16,443,609
- For Colored Girls (2010): Budget $21,000,000, Worldwide Gross $38,000,000
- Freedom Writers (2007): Budget $21,000,000, Worldwide Gross $43,095,175
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Pet Sematary Box Office Performance
"Pet Sematary" earned $54,724,696 domestically and $113,118,226 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $21,000,000, 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 "Pet Sematary," that break-even threshold was roughly $42,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $113,118,226, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $21,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $113,118,226
- Net Return: $92,118,226
- ROI: approximately 438.7%
At 438.7%, "Pet Sematary" earned roughly $5.39 for every $1 invested in production.
Pet Sematary Production History
On April 16, 2018, it was announced that Jason Clarke had been cast in the lead role of Louis Creed. On May 4, 2018, it was reported John Lithgow had joined the cast in the role of Jud Crandall. In June 2018, it was announced that Amy Seimetz would have the film's lead female role, Rachel Creed, along with Jeté Laurence as Creed's daughter Ellie and twins Hugo and Lucas Lavoie as Creed's son Gage.
Principal photography commenced on June 18, 2018, in Hudson, Quebec, Canada. Filming wrapped on August 11, 2018. [Filming] Principal photography commenced on June 18, 2018, in Hudson, Quebec, Canada. Filming wrapped on August 11, 2018.
Christopher Young composed the film score. The end credits include a cover version of the Ramones song "Pet Sematary" by American punk rock band Starcrawler. Waxwork Records released the soundtrack on a double LP in 2019 following the release of the film.
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 9 nominations total
Critical Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads: "Pet Sematary takes its source material in a few different directions, but this remake feels like an exhuming almost as often as it does a revival." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Pet Sematary (2019)?
The production budget was $21,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $10,500,000 - $16,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $31,500,000 - $37,800,000.
How much did Pet Sematary (2019) earn at the box office?
Pet Sematary grossed $54,724,696 domestic, $58,393,530 international, totaling $113,118,226 worldwide.
Was Pet Sematary (2019) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $21,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$52,500,000, the film earned $113,118,226 theatrically - a 439% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Pet Sematary?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design.
How does Pet Sematary's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $21,000,000, Pet Sematary is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Blockers (2018, $21,000,000); Death at a Funeral (2010, $21,000,000); Everybody's Fine (2009, $21,000,000).
Did Pet Sematary (2019) 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 Pet Sematary?
The theatrical ROI was 438.7%, calculated as ($113,118,226 − $21,000,000) ÷ $21,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Pet Sematary (2019) win?
1 win & 9 nominations total.
Who directed Pet Sematary and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Dennis Widmyer, Kevin Kölsch, written by Jeff Buhler, shot by Laurie Rose, with music by Christopher Young, edited by Sarah Broshar.
Where was Pet Sematary filmed?
Pet Sematary was filmed in United States of America. Principal photography commenced on June 18, 2018, in Hudson, Quebec, Canada. Filming wrapped on August 11, 2018. [Filming] Principal photography commenced on June 18, 2018, in Hudson, Quebec, Canada. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Pet Sematary
Official Trailer
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