

Problemista Budget
Updated
Synopsis
Alejandro is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in NY. As time runs out on his work visa, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country.
What is the budget of Problemista?
"Problemista," a comedy released in 2024, was directed by Julio Torres and stars Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton. The production budget was $12,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for comedy productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a comedy production like this include:
- Talent Salaries & Producing Deals: Established comedic talent can command $15 to 20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals.
- Production & Location Filming: While comedies generally avoid the VFX costs of action films, location shooting in recognizable cities or exotic locales adds meaningful production expense.
- Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising): Comedies rely heavily on marketing to build opening-weekend momentum.
- Production: In July 2021, it was announced that Tilda Swinton would star in the film and Julio Torres would costar in and direct it, from a screenplay he wrote, with A24 set to finance and distribute.
What were the major cost factors in Problemista?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Problemista."
- Talent Salaries: Talent Salaries & Producing Deals is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Production: Production & Location Filming is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Marketing: Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
How Does Problemista's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $12,000,000, Problemista sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Goon (2012): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,985,158
- Jobs (2013): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,100,000
- All That Jazz (1979): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $37,823,676
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Budget $12,000,000 , Gross $71,923,560
- Wolfwalkers (2020): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,310,720
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Problemista Box Office Performance
"Problemista" earned $2,503,154 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $12,000,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Problemista," that break-even threshold was roughly $24,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $2,503,154, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $12,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $2,503,154
- Net Return: −$9,496,846
- ROI: approximately -79.1%
At -79.1%, "Problemista" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
2 wins & 16 nominations total
Critical Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 85% based on 136 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads: "With Problemista, Julio Torres' utterly unique sensibilities prove a perfectly cracked lens through which to find the surreal humor in bleak aspects of the human experience." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on 30 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Problemista (2024)?
The production budget was $12,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $6,000,000 - $9,600,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $18,000,000 - $21,600,000.
How much did Problemista (2024) earn at the box office?
Problemista grossed $2,503,154 domestic, totaling $2,503,154 worldwide.
Was Problemista (2024) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $2,503,154 against an estimated $30,000,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Problemista?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton, RZA); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns.
How does Problemista's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $12,000,000, Problemista is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2020s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Goon (2012, $12,000,000); Jobs (2013, $12,000,000); All That Jazz (1979, $12,000,000).
Did Problemista (2024) 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 Problemista?
The theatrical ROI was -79.1%, calculated as ($2,503,154 − $12,000,000) ÷ $12,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Problemista (2024) win?
2 wins & 16 nominations total.
Who directed Problemista and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Julio Torres, written by Julio Torres, shot by Fredrik Wenzel, with music by Lia Ouyang Rusli, edited by Jacob Secher Schulsinger, Sara Shaw.
Where was Problemista filmed?
Problemista was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Problemista
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