Following a faint trail of clues, the accomplished archaeologist, Doctor Elizabeth Shaw, and her partner, Charlie Holloway, along with a seventeen-man crew, embark on an ambitious, deep-space scientific expedition. Aboard the revolutionary space-exploration starship, USCSS Prometheus, the team sets foot on the rocky terrain of the desolate exomoon, LV-223, in 2093, to investigate the existence of the superior extraterrestrial species known as the "Engineers". But, there, inside a mysterious, complex structure of cavernous dark chambers and an intricate underground system of tunnels, more enigmas await. Now, a terrifying discovery threatens not only the outcome of the bold outer-space mission but also the very future of humankind. Is the world prepared for the answers to the fundamental questions of human existence?

What is the budget of Prometheus?

"Prometheus," a science fiction released in 2012, was directed by Ridley Scott and stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender. The production budget was $130,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for science fiction productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a science fiction production like this include:

Visual Effects & CGI Pipeline: Sci-fi films are among the most VFX-intensive productions in Hollywood.
Production Design & World-Building: Creating a believable sci-fi world required significant investment in set construction, prop fabrication, and conceptual design , from physical environments through LED volume stages and virtual production technology.
Technology & Camera Systems: Cutting-edge camera rigs, motion capture stages, LED volume stages (virtual production), and proprietary rendering technology often push the technical budget far beyond conventional filming costs.
Development: Development on a fifth film in the Alien franchise was in progress by 2002.

What were the major cost factors in Prometheus?

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

Visual Effects: Visual Effects & CGI Pipeline is one of the primary cost drivers in science fiction productions of this scale.
Production Design: Production Design & World-Building is one of the primary cost drivers in science fiction productions of this scale.
Technology: Technology & Camera Systems is one of the primary cost drivers in science fiction productions of this scale.

How Does Prometheus's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $130,000,000, Prometheus sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

After Earth (2013): Budget $130,000,000, Worldwide Gross $243,843,127
Ant-Man (2015): Budget $130,000,000, Worldwide Gross $519,311,965
Australia (2008): Budget $130,000,000, Worldwide Gross $211,787,511
Bad Boys II (2003): Budget $130,000,000, Worldwide Gross $273,339,556
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007): Budget $130,000,000 , Gross $301,913,131

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

Prometheus Box Office Performance

"Prometheus" earned $126,477,084 domestically and $403,354,469 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $130,000,000, 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 "Prometheus," that break-even threshold was roughly $260,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $403,354,469, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

Production Budget: $130,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $403,354,469
Net Return: $273,354,469
ROI: approximately 210.3%

At 210.3%, "Prometheus" earned roughly $3.1 for every $1 invested in production.

Prometheus Production History

Development on a fifth film in the Alien franchise was in progress by 2002. Ridley Scott considered returning to the series he created with his 1979 science fiction horror film Alien, to pursue a sequel that would explore the engineered origins of the series' Alien creatures, and the "space jockey",the extraterrestrial being, who briefly appears in Alien, as the deceased pilot of a derelict spaceship. Alien star Sigourney Weaver also expressed interest in returning to the series.

Spaihts met Scott in late 2009 and they discussed Scott's desire to pursue an Alien prequel. Spaihts offered his concept, including a "bridge" that would connect the story of the film's human characters to the Alien saga. Spaihts was quickly hired, which he credited to the reception of his "bridge" idea.

upright| With an estimated $120 to 130 million budget, principal photography began on March 21, 2011, and lasted 82 days. Filming began at Shepperton Studios and Pinewood Studios in England. Scott used eight sound stages for filming, including the 007 Stage.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 6 wins & 47 nominations total

Critical Reception

Prometheus has approval rating from critics with an average rating of on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, which says, "Ridley Scott's ambitious quasi-prequel to Alien may not answer all of its big questions, but it's redeemed by its haunting visual grandeur and compelling performances,particularly Michael Fassbender as a fastidious android."