Ritual Budget
Horror1h 51mUpdated
Synopsis
Dr. Alice Dodgson (Jennifer Gray) gets her medical license revoked after the death of a patient. She's facing the possibility of not getting any job when she accepts to be the nurse for one young man who suffers of cephalitis named Wesley Claybourne (Daniel Lapaine). Aside from the sickness from which he's suffering, Wesley believes he has been "touched" by some voodoo cult. While she stays in Jamaica, Dr. Dodgson will feel uncomfortable as she discovers that voodoo is not only a "state of mind", and could be a real threat to her life and Wesley's. She'll have to discover why she and her patient are targets of the voodoo curse.
What is the budget of Ritual?
"Ritual," a horror released in 2002, was directed by Avi Nesher and stars Jennifer Grey, Craig Sheffer. The production budget was $10,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for horror productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a horror production like this include:
- Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup: Horror productions invest disproportionately in practical effects , prosthetic applications, animatronics, blood and gore effects, and creature suits. A single hero creature suit can cost $50,000 to 200,000.
- Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography: Creating dread through environment is essential. Abandoned locations must be secured and dressed, lighting rigs designed for shadow and tension, and sets built to enable specific camera movements and reveals.
- Sound Design & Score: Horror is arguably the most sound-dependent genre. Foley work, ambient textures, frequency manipulation, and jump-scare stingers require specialized sound designers working with unconventional techniques.
- Production: In January 1998, it was reported that RKO Pictures and Miramax had entered into a co-financing and distribution deal to remake 12 films from RKO's library with one of the titles identified being 1943's I Walked with a Zombie.
What were the major cost factors in Ritual?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Ritual."
- Practical Effects: Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Atmospheric Production Design: Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Sound Design: Sound Design & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
How Does Ritual's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $10,000,000, Ritual sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- By the Sea (2015): Budget $10,000,000, Worldwide Gross $3,727,746
- Eye for an Eye (2025): Budget $10,000,000
- Goal! (2005): Budget $10,000,000, Worldwide Gross $27,610,873
- Phantom (2013): Budget $10,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,197,759
- War of the Worlds (2025): Budget $10,000,000
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2000s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Awards and Recognition
N/A
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Ritual (2002)?
The production budget was $10,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $5,000,000 - $8,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $15,000,000 - $18,000,000.
How much did Ritual (2002) earn at the box office?
Box office figures are not publicly available.
Was Ritual (2002) profitable?
Insufficient data for a profitability assessment.
What were the biggest costs in producing Ritual?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Jennifer Grey, Craig Sheffer, Daniel Lapaine); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design.
How does Ritual's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $10,000,000, Ritual is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2000s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: By the Sea (2015, $10,000,000); Eye for an Eye (2025, $10,000,000); Goal! (2005, $10,000,000).
Did Ritual (2002) 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 awards did Ritual (2002) win?
N/A.
Who directed Ritual and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Avi Nesher, written by Rob Cohen, Avi Nesher, shot by Douglas Milsome, David A. Armstrong, with music by Shirley Walker, edited by Robert A. Ferretti, Michael Schweitzer.
Where was Ritual filmed?
Ritual was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Ritual
Official Trailer
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