“There is a bomb in Centennial Park. You have thirty minutes.” The world is first introduced to Richard Jewell as the security guard who reports finding the device at the 1996 Atlanta bombing—his report making him a hero whose swift actions save countless lives. But within days, the law enforcement wannabe becomes the FBI’s number one suspect, vilified by press and public alike, his life ripped apart. Reaching out to independent, anti-establishment attorney Watson Bryant, Jewell staunchly professes his innocence. But Bryant finds he is out of his depth as he fights the combined powers of the FBI, GBI and APD to clear his client’s name, while keeping Richard from trusting the very people trying to destroy him.

What is the budget of Richard Jewell?

"Richard Jewell," a drama released in 2019, was directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Paul Walter Hauser, Jon Hamm. The production budget was $45,000,000, 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.
Production: The film was initially announced in February 2014, when Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill teamed to produce the film, with Hill set to play Jewell, and DiCaprio set to play the lawyer who helped Jewell navigate the media blitz that surrounded him.

What were the major cost factors in Richard Jewell?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Richard Jewell."

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 Richard Jewell's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $45,000,000, Richard Jewell sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

65 (2023): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $60,730,568
Across the Universe (2007): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $29,625,761
Aliens in the Attic (2009): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $57,881,056
Bangkok Dangerous (2008): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,487,390
Chicken Run (2000): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $224,834,564

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

Richard Jewell Box Office Performance

"Richard Jewell" earned $22,345,542 domestically and $33,900,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $45,000,000, 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 "Richard Jewell," that break-even threshold was roughly $90,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $33,900,000, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $45,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $33,900,000
Net Return: −$11,100,000
ROI: approximately -24.7%

At -24.7%, "Richard Jewell" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 6 wins & 21 nominations total

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Critical Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 301 critics' reviews of the film are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10; the site's "critics consensus" reads: "Richard Jewell simplifies the real-life events that inspired it,yet still proves that Clint Eastwood remains a skilled filmmaker of admirable economy." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 based on reviews from 45 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.