Presence Budget
HorrorThrillerDrama1h 24mUpdated
Synopsis
A family becomes convinced they are not alone after moving into their new home in the suburbs.
What is the budget of Presence?
"Presence," a horror released in 2025, was directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Callina Liang, Lucy Liu. The production budget was $2,000,000, placing it in the micro-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.
- Development: The film, written by David Koepp and directed by Steven Soderbergh, was not announced publicly until December 2023 when it was revealed to be part of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
What were the major cost factors in Presence?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Presence."
- 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 Presence's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $2,000,000, Presence sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Seven Samurai (1954): Budget $2,000,000, Worldwide Gross $105,000,000
- The Great Dictator (1940): Budget $2,000,000, Worldwide Gross $11,000,000
- Sing Sing (2024): Budget $2,000,000, Worldwide Gross $3,401,789
- The Lives of Others (2006): Budget $2,000,000, Worldwide Gross $77,672,685
- Anatomy of a Murder (1959): Budget $2,000,000, Worldwide Gross $8,000,000
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Presence Box Office Performance
"Presence" earned $6,900,044 domestically and $11,069,405 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $2,000,000, 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 "Presence," that break-even threshold was roughly $4,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $11,069,405, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $2,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $11,069,405
- Net Return: $9,069,405
- ROI: approximately 453.5%
At 453.5%, "Presence" earned roughly $5.53 for every $1 invested in production.
Presence Production History
The film, written by David Koepp and directed by Steven Soderbergh, was not announced publicly until December 2023 when it was revealed to be part of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The concept originated with Soderbergh, who was inspired by his own beliefs of living with a presence in his house, which he and his wife called "Mimi": "It got me thinking about how Mimi would feel about us being in her house. Is Mimi pissed at us living here?".
Principal photography took place over 11 days in September 2023 with an interim SAG-AFTRA agreement from the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The film is shot entirely in the first-person perspective, and was filmed in a house in Cranford, New Jersey. Of the film's low budget and quick production time, Soderbergh stated: "The beauty of projects at this scale is I can just do them without having to talk to anybody." Soderbergh did his own cinematography and most of the filming, under his pseudonym, Peter Andrews.
Awards and Recognition
N/A
Critical Reception
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it a 58% overall positive score, with 33% saying they would "definitely recommend" it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Presence (2025)?
The production budget was $2,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $1,000,000 - $1,600,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $3,000,000 - $3,600,000.
How much did Presence (2025) earn at the box office?
Presence grossed $6,900,044 domestic, $4,169,361 international, totaling $11,069,405 worldwide.
Was Presence (2025) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $2,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$5,000,000, the film earned $11,069,405 theatrically - a 453% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Presence?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Callina Liang, Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design.
How does Presence's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $2,000,000, Presence is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2020s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Seven Samurai (1954, $2,000,000); The Great Dictator (1940, $2,000,000); Sing Sing (2024, $2,000,000).
Did Presence (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 Presence?
The theatrical ROI was 453.5%, calculated as ($11,069,405 − $2,000,000) ÷ $2,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Presence (2025) win?
N/A.
Who directed Presence and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by David Koepp, shot by Steven Soderbergh, with music by Zack Ryan, edited by Steven Soderbergh.
Where was Presence filmed?
Presence was filmed in United States of America. Principal photography took place over 11 days in September 2023 with an interim SAG-AFTRA agreement from the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The film is shot entirely in the first-person perspective, and was filmed in a house in Cranford, New Jersey. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Presence
Official Trailer
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