What is the budget of Priscilla?

"Priscilla," a drama released in 2023, was directed by Sofia Coppola and stars Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi. The production budget was $20,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for drama productions of its era.

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.
Filming & Locations: Principal photography for Priscilla began in Toronto on October 24, 2022. Filming wrapped in early December 2022.

What were the major cost factors in Priscilla?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Priscilla."

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 Priscilla's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $20,000,000, Priscilla sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

12 Years a Slave (2013): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $187,000,000
21 Grams (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $60,427,839
3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $11,798,854
A Guy Thing (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,400,000
A Most Violent Year (2014): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $12,007,070

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Priscilla Box Office Performance

"Priscilla" earned $20,960,939 domestically and $30,140,906 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $20,000,000, 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 "Priscilla," that break-even threshold was roughly $40,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $30,140,906, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $20,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $30,140,906
Net Return: $10,140,906
ROI: approximately 50.7%

At 50.7%, "Priscilla" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.

Priscilla Production History

Principal photography for Priscilla began in Toronto on October 24, 2022. Filming wrapped in early December 2022. [Filming] Principal photography for Priscilla began in Toronto on October 24, 2022. Filming wrapped in early December 2022.

Priscilla does not have Elvis Presley's music on its soundtrack. Coppola's husband, Thomas Mars, and his band, Phoenix, scored the film. Sons of Raphael wrote original music for the film.

Awards and Recognition

6 wins & 35 nominations total

Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Cailee Spaeny

Critical Reception

Audiences polled by PostTrak gave it a 71% overall positive score, with 50% saying they would definitely recommend the film. Critics also commended the film for its exploration of themes present in Coppola's previous films, such as the isolation of fame, femininity, and "privilege without power".