

Prometheus Budget
Updated
Synopsis
A team of explorers discovers a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
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."
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Prometheus (2012)?
The production budget was $130,000,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $65,000,000 - $104,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $195,000,000 - $234,000,000.
How much did Prometheus (2012) earn at the box office?
Prometheus grossed $126,477,084 domestic, $276,877,385 international, totaling $403,354,469 worldwide.
Was Prometheus (2012) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $130,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$325,000,000, the film earned $403,354,469 theatrically - a 210% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Prometheus?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron); visual effects pipelines, virtual production technology, and speculative world-building; international production across United States of America, United Kingdom.
How does Prometheus's budget compare to similar science fiction films?
At $130,000,000, Prometheus is classified as a big-budget production. The median budget for wide-release science fiction films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: After Earth (2013, $130,000,000); Ant-Man (2015, $130,000,000); Australia (2008, $130,000,000).
Did Prometheus (2012) 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 Prometheus?
The theatrical ROI was 210.3%, calculated as ($403,354,469 − $130,000,000) ÷ $130,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Prometheus (2012) win?
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 6 wins & 47 nominations total.
Who directed Prometheus and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Ridley Scott, written by Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof, shot by Dariusz Wolski, with music by Marc Streitenfeld, edited by Pietro Scalia.
Where was Prometheus filmed?
Prometheus was filmed in United States of America, United Kingdom. upright| With an estimated $120 - 130 million budget, principal photography began on March 21, 2011, and lasted 82 days. Filming began at Shepperton Studios and Pinewood Studios in England. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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Prometheus
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