"Ride With the Devil" is a gripping historical drama set during the tumultuous period of the American Civil War. The film follows the story of a group of young men from Missouri who become embroiled in the conflict as they navigate the complexities of loyalty, friendship, and survival. Central to the narrative is Jake Roedel, a Confederate sympathizer, who grapples with the harsh realities of war and the moral dilemmas it presents. Alongside his friend, the African American freedman, and a band of guerrilla fighters, Jake embarks on a harrowing journey that tests their bonds and challenges their beliefs. As they face the brutality of battle and the impact of their choices, the film explores themes of identity, honor, and the devastating consequences of war. With its rich character development and poignant storytelling, "Ride With the Devil" offers a profound reflection on the human experience amidst chaos.

What is the budget of Ride With the Devil?

"Ride With the Devil," a drama released in 1999, was directed by Ang Lee and stars Skeet Ulrich, Tobey Maguire. The production budget was $35,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for drama productions of the 1990s.

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 original motion picture music for Ride with the Devil, was released by the Atlantic Records music label on November 23, 1999.

What were the major cost factors in Ride With the Devil?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Ride With the Devil."

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 Ride With the Devil's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $35,000,000, Ride With the Devil sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

1941 (1979): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $94,900,000
Two for the Money (2005): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $30,526,509
Ghost Ship (2002): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $71,142,361
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022): Budget $35,000,000
Lion of the Desert (1981): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,502,136

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

Ride With the Devil Box Office Performance

"Ride With the Devil" earned $635,096 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $35,000,000, 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 "Ride With the Devil," that break-even threshold was roughly $70,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $635,096, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $35,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $635,096
Net Return: −$34,364,904
ROI: approximately -98.2%

At -98.2%, "Ride With the Devil" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Ride With the Devil Production History

The original motion picture music for Ride with the Devil, was released by the Atlantic Records music label on November 23, 1999. The score for the film was orchestrated by Mychael Danna and Nicholas Dodd. Musical artist Jewel contributed vocals to the score with her song "What's Simple Is True", from her 1998 album Spirit.

Awards and Recognition

1 win total

Critical Reception

Among mainstream critics in the U.S., the film received generally positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 65% of 68 sampled critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 6.3 out of 10. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average out of 100 to critics' reviews, Ride with the Devil received a score of 69 based on 29 reviews.