

Reign Over Me Budget
Updated
Synopsis
"Reign Over Me" (2007) is a poignant drama that explores the profound impact of loss and the journey toward healing. The story centers around Charlie Fineman, portrayed by Adam Sandler, a man grappling with the tragic loss of his family in the September 11 attacks. Isolated and struggling with his grief, Charlie's life takes a turn when he unexpectedly reconnects with his college roommate, Alan Johnson, played by Don Cheadle.
As Alan, a successful dentist, attempts to help Charlie navigate his emotional turmoil, the film delves into themes of friendship, trauma, and the search for redemption. Their relationship evolves as Alan learns to confront his own life challenges, while Charlie begins to rediscover joy and purpose. The film beautifully captures the complexities of human connection and the healing power of friendship amidst the backdrop of personal and collective tragedy.
What is the budget of Reign Over Me?
"Reign Over Me," a drama released in 2007, was directed by Mike Binder and stars Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle. 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.
- Music & Score: The many songs during the film include Bruce Springsteen's "Out in the Street" and "Drive All Night", "Simple Man" by Graham Nash, and a few songs by the Who, including the titular "Love, Reign o'er Me".
What were the major cost factors in Reign Over Me?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Reign Over Me."
- 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 Reign Over Me's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $20,000,000, Reign Over Me 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 2000s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Reign Over Me Box Office Performance
"Reign Over Me" earned $19,661,987 domestically and $22,222,308 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 "Reign Over Me," that break-even threshold was roughly $40,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $22,222,308, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $20,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $22,222,308
- Net Return: $2,222,308
- ROI: approximately 11.1%
At 11.1%, "Reign Over Me" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.
Reign Over Me Production History
The many songs during the film include Bruce Springsteen's "Out in the Street" and "Drive All Night", "Simple Man" by Graham Nash, and a few songs by the Who, including the titular "Love, Reign o'er Me". The latter appears on the film's soundtrack, along with a cover version recorded specifically for the film by Pearl Jam. Televised trailers featured the songs "Ashes" by English band Embrace, "All These Things That I've Done" by the Killers, "How to Save a Life" by the Fray, and "In This Life" by Chantal Kreviazuk.
Awards and Recognition
3 nominations total
Critical Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 64% based on 153 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Reign Over Me is a charming, affecting tale of friendship and loss, with solid performances from Adam Sandler as a broken, grief-stricken man and Don Cheadle as his old friend and savior." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A− on scale of A to F.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Reign Over Me (2007)?
The production budget was $20,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $10,000,000 - $16,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $30,000,000 - $36,000,000.
How much did Reign Over Me (2007) earn at the box office?
Reign Over Me grossed $19,661,987 domestic, $2,560,321 international, totaling $22,222,308 worldwide.
Was Reign Over Me (2007) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $22,222,308 against an estimated $50,000,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Reign Over Me?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does Reign Over Me's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $20,000,000, Reign Over Me is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2000s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 12 Years a Slave (2013, $20,000,000); 21 Grams (2003, $20,000,000); 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994, $20,000,000).
Did Reign Over Me (2007) 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 Reign Over Me?
The theatrical ROI was 11.1%, calculated as ($22,222,308 − $20,000,000) ÷ $20,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Reign Over Me (2007) win?
3 nominations total.
Who directed Reign Over Me and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Mike Binder, written by Mike Binder, shot by Russ T. Alsobrook, with music by Rolfe Kent, edited by Jeremy Roush, Steve Edwards.
Where was Reign Over Me filmed?
Reign Over Me was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Reign Over Me
Official Trailer








































































Budget Templates
Build your own production budget
Create professional budgets with industry-standard feature film templates. Real-time collaboration, no spreadsheets.
Start Budgeting Free
