

Reminders of Him Budget
Updated
Synopsis
When Diem's custodial grandparents adamantly refuse Kenna's attempts to see her daughter, Kenna discovers unexpected compassion, and then something truer and deeper, with former NFL player and local bar owner Ledger. As their secret romance develops, so do the dangers for both of them, leading Kenna toward heartbreak and, ultimately, the hope for a second chance.
What Is the Budget of Reminders of Him (2026)?
Directed by Vanessa Caswill, with Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow leading the cast, Reminders of Him was produced by Universal Pictures with a confirmed budget of $30,000,000, placing it in the low-budget category for romance films.
At $30,000,000, Reminders of Him (2026) sits within the typical budget range for romance productions. At this level, productions can afford practical locations, a recognizable cast, and polished post-production without the infrastructure demands of a true blockbuster -- a zone where strong writing often outperforms spectacle in generating return.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
Reminders of Him's $30,000,000 budget reflects a mid-budget studio drama shot across multiple locations in Alberta, Canada, with a recognizable ensemble cast and a nine-month post-production window:
- Cast and Above-the-Line Talent: Maika Monroe (It Follows, Longlegs) anchors the film as Kenna Rowan, supported by Vince Vaughn-tier names including Bradley Whitford, Lauren Graham, and country star Lainey Wilson in her film debut. Director Vanessa Caswill and author Colleen Hoover (co-screenwriter and daily on-set producer) round out an above-the-line package that likely consumed $8 to $10 million of the budget.
- Alberta Location Filming: Eight weeks of principal photography across six locations in Alberta, including the town of Nanton (doubling for Laramie, Wyoming), Bragg Creek, Longview, Didsbury, and Banff National Park's Icefields Parkway. Remote small-town and mountain shoots require crew housing, local permits, road closures, and weather contingencies. Alberta's film tax incentives offset a portion of these costs, which is why the production chose Canada over Wyoming.
- Production Design and Set Construction: Ledger's bar, the central recurring location, was built as a controlled interior set in Calgary rather than using a practical location. Neon signage, lived-in dressing, and consistent lighting setups for emotional close-ups required purpose-built construction. Kenna's apartment and the Landry family home were also dressed and controlled environments.
- Music, Score, and Soundtrack: Composer Tom Howe (Ted Lasso, Dog Man) delivered an original score. The 23-track soundtrack released by Back Lot Music includes an original song by Noah Cyrus ("Light Over the Hill") and a licensed cover of Coldplay's "Yellow" by Morgan Harper-Jones. Music licensing and original compositions for a romance with this soundtrack ambition typically run $1.5 to $3 million.
- Marketing and Distribution Launch: Universal opened the film across 3,400 domestic locations and 57 international markets simultaneously, requiring prints, trailers, press junkets, and a social media campaign across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X. The LA premiere on March 9 and targeted outreach to Colleen Hoover's established BookTok audience added specialized marketing costs beyond standard studio spend.
How Does Reminders of Him (2026)'s Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $30,000,000, Reminders of Him sits in the mid-budget range for studio romance adaptations. The contrast with other Colleen Hoover adaptations and comparable book-to-film romances reveals how the film performed relative to its peers:
- It Ends with Us (2024): Budget $25,000,000 | Worldwide $351,000,000. The first major Hoover adaptation became a cultural phenomenon, driven by the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni controversy as much as the source material. Reminders of Him had a quieter rollout but still delivered nearly 3x its budget worldwide, proving Hoover's audience extends beyond a single title.
- Regretting You (2025): Budget $20,000,000 | Worldwide $58,000,000. Paramount's Hoover adaptation with Allison Williams and McKenna Grace performed modestly. Reminders of Him outperformed it significantly, suggesting Universal's marketing strategy and Maika Monroe's casting resonated more broadly.
- After (2019): Budget $14,000,000 | Worldwide $69,000,000. The Anna Todd adaptation proved that passionate online fanbases can drive theatrical performance for romance adaptations at modest budgets. Reminders of Him operates at double the budget but also delivered stronger per-screen averages and a wider international footprint.
- The Idea of You (2024): Budget $25,000,000 | Released direct to Prime Video, skipping theatrical entirely. Amazon's decision to bypass theaters with a Robinne Lee adaptation starring Anne Hathaway makes Reminders of Him's $87M theatrical gross all the more notable, demonstrating that the right romance IP still works in cinemas.
Reminders of Him (2026) Box Office Performance
Reminders of Him has earned $48,388,605 domestically (55.3%) and $39,042,982 internationally (44.7%), for a worldwide total of $87,431,587. The film opened to $17,979,940 domestically. Distributed by Universal Pictures, it performed particularly well in Germany ($9.4M), the United Kingdom ($5.9M), Australia ($3.6M), and the Netherlands ($2.6M).
Break-even analysis: production budget $30,000,000, plus an estimated P&A spend of approximately $25,000,000 for a wide Universal release, puts total investment at roughly $55,000,000. Theaters typically retain about 50% of gross receipts, meaning the studio share of $87,431,587 worldwide is approximately $43,716,000. Against total investment, the film is near break-even on theatrical alone, with home entertainment, streaming, and ancillary markets expected to push it into solid profitability.
- Production Budget: $30,000,000
- Estimated P&A: $25,000,000
- Total Investment: $55,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $87,431,587
- Estimated Studio Share (50%): $43,716,000
- ROI (on production budget): approximately 191.4%
On production budget alone, Reminders of Him earned roughly $2.91 for every $1 invested. Factoring in P&A and the theatrical revenue split, the film is approaching break-even theatrically, a solid result for a mid-budget drama adapted from a bestselling novel. The strong international performance, particularly in European markets, demonstrates the global appeal of Colleen Hoover adaptations following the success of It Ends with Us (2024).
Reminders of Him (2026) Production History
In October 2024, Universal Pictures announced an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel Reminders of Him, with Hoover co-writing the screenplay alongside Lauren Levine in her screenwriting debut. The pair also served as producers through Hoover's Heartbones Entertainment, with Gina Matthews joining as producer. In December 2024, English director Vanessa Caswill, known for her BBC/PBS adaptation of Little Women (2017) and the Netflix film Love at First Sight (2023), was hired to direct.
Maika Monroe was cast as Kenna Rowan in March 2025, a significant pivot from her established identity in horror films like It Follows and Longlegs. In April 2025, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, Lauren Graham, Bradley Whitford, Nicholas Duvernay, and country music star Lainey Wilson joined the cast, with Wilson making her film debut as Kenna's friend Amy. Principal photography began April 16, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta, and wrapped June 12, 2025, after approximately eight weeks of filming.
Although the story is set in Laramie, Wyoming, production filmed entirely in Alberta, Canada, taking advantage of the province's film tax incentives. Key locations included the town of Nanton, whose preserved vintage brick facades along 20th Avenue doubled for the fictional small-town setting; Bragg Creek for wooded residential exteriors; Longview and Didsbury for additional small-town scenes; and Banff National Park's Icefields Parkway for sweeping mountain driving sequences. Calgary served as the production hub for all interior work, including the recreation of Ledger's bar.
Hoover was reportedly on set daily throughout the shoot, reflecting her stated desire for greater ownership of her adaptations following the public controversy surrounding It Ends with Us (2024). The film premiered in Los Angeles on March 9, 2026, and opened wide on March 13 across 3,400 locations domestically and 57 international markets. It opened to $17.9 million domestically, exceeding the projected $10 to $15 million range. The soundtrack, composed by Tom Howe, features an original song by Noah Cyrus and a cover of Coldplay's "Yellow" by Morgan Harper-Jones.
Awards and Recognition
Awards and recognition details for Reminders of Him (2026) will be updated as the film completes its release cycle and awards season eligibility window.
Critical Reception
Critical reception data for Reminders of Him (2026) is not yet available. This section will be updated as reviews and audience scores are published following the film's release.
The film's commercial performance and audience response will ultimately determine whether it achieves the cultural longevity that separates films with strong opening weekends from those that sustain relevance over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Reminders of Him (2026) about?
The film adapts Colleen Hoover's 2022 novel of the same name, following a young mother named Kenna Rowan who returns to a small town to reunite with her young daughter after five years in prison, only to find her late boyfriend's family and town deeply hostile to the reunion attempt.
Is Reminders of Him based on a book?
Yes. The film adapts the bestselling 2022 novel Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover, which spent multiple weeks at number one on the New York Times paperback fiction bestseller list and has sold more than five million copies in print and digital editions.
Who stars in Reminders of Him?
Maika Monroe is attached to star as Kenna Rowan. Tyriq Withers is attached as the male lead Ledger Ward, with Bradley Whitford in a major supporting role. The full ensemble cast was finalized in late-2025 trade announcements.
Who is directing Reminders of Him?
Vanessa Caswill is attached to direct the film. Caswill had previously directed Little Women (2017, the BBC miniseries) and the feature The In Between (2022) for Paramount+, along with substantial high-end television work on shows including The Long Song and My Mad Fat Diary.
What is the budget for Reminders of Him?
The production budget has not been publicly disclosed. Universal Pictures is producing through its consumer-facing prestige label, with industry estimates placing the budget in the $25,000,000 to $35,000,000 range, consistent with mid-budget romantic dramas with proven IP underpinning.
When does Reminders of Him come out?
A theatrical release date in 2026 has been indicated by Universal Pictures, with the precise calendar slot not yet confirmed at the time of writing. The studio has historically positioned similar adult-skewing romantic dramas in February or October.
Where is Reminders of Him being filmed?
Principal photography is expected to take place in Georgia or North Carolina, both states with strong film production tax credit programs and the Southern small-town aesthetic appropriate to the novel's setting. Universal Pictures had not formally confirmed a primary location at the time of writing.
How does Reminders of Him compare to other Colleen Hoover adaptations?
The film follows It Ends With Us (2024, $25,000,000 budget, $351,300,000 worldwide), the Justin Baldoni-directed Colleen Hoover adaptation that established the author as a major theatrical IP. Reminders of Him benefits from that template while being positioned by Universal as a more restrained character piece.
Is Reminders of Him part of a Colleen Hoover cinematic universe?
The book is a standalone, but Colleen Hoover has confirmed that a companion novel from the perspective of Ledger Ward, Reminders of You, is in development. Universal has indicated openness to a second adaptation contingent on the first film's performance.
Is there a trailer for Reminders of Him?
A teaser or full trailer has not been broadly distributed through verified studio channels. Universal typically releases its first marketing assets four to five months ahead of theatrical release.
Filmmakers
Reminders of Him (2026)
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