Roman J. Israel, Esq. Budget
DramaCrimeThriller2h 2mUpdated
Synopsis
Set in the underbelly of the overburdened Los Angeles criminal court system, Roman J. Israel Esq is a driven, idealistic defense attorney whose life is upended when his mentor, a civil rights icon, dies. When he is recruited to join a firm led by one of the legendary man’s former students — the ambitious lawyer George Pierce — and begins a friendship with a young champion of equal rights, a turbulent series of events ensue that will put the activism that has defined Roman’s career to the test.
What is the budget of Roman J. Israel, Esq.?
"Roman J. Israel, Esq.," a drama released in 2017, was directed by Dan Gilroy and stars Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell. The production budget was $22,000,000, 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: James Newton Howard composed the film's music, as he previously worked with Gilroy on Nightcrawler. The score was released by Sony Classical.
What were the major cost factors in Roman J. Israel, Esq.?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Roman J. Israel, Esq.."
- 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 Roman J. Israel, Esq.'s Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $22,000,000, Roman J. Israel, Esq. sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 12 Rounds (2009): Budget $22,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,280,326
- Before I Go to Sleep (2014): Budget $22,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,669,776
- Dances with Wolves (1990): Budget $22,000,000, Worldwide Gross $424,208,848
- Derailed (2005): Budget $22,000,000, Worldwide Gross $57,479,076
- Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005): Budget $22,000,000 , Gross $45,109,561
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Roman J. Israel, Esq. Box Office Performance
"Roman J. Israel, Esq." earned $11,962,778 domestically and $13,025,860 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $22,000,000, 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 "Roman J. Israel, Esq.," that break-even threshold was roughly $44,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $13,025,860, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $22,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $13,025,860
- Net Return: −$8,974,140
- ROI: approximately -40.8%
At -40.8%, "Roman J. Israel, Esq." did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Roman J. Israel, Esq. Production History
James Newton Howard composed the film's music, as he previously worked with Gilroy on Nightcrawler. The score was released by Sony Classical.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 2 wins & 11 nominations total
Critical Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 55% based on 174 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Intriguing yet heavy-handed, Roman J. Israel, Esq. makes the most of , but never quite lives up to , Denzel Washington's magnetic performance in the title role." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score 58 out of 100, based 41 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)?
The production budget was $22,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $11,000,000 - $17,600,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $33,000,000 - $39,600,000.
How much did Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017) earn at the box office?
Roman J. Israel, Esq. grossed $11,962,778 domestic, $1,063,082 international, totaling $13,025,860 worldwide.
Was Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $13,025,860 against an estimated $55,000,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Roman J. Israel, Esq.?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production; international production across United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Canada, China.
How does Roman J. Israel, Esq.'s budget compare to similar drama films?
At $22,000,000, Roman J. Israel, Esq. is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 12 Rounds (2009, $22,000,000); Before I Go to Sleep (2014, $22,000,000); Dances with Wolves (1990, $22,000,000).
Did Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017) 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 Roman J. Israel, Esq.?
The theatrical ROI was -40.8%, calculated as ($13,025,860 − $22,000,000) ÷ $22,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017) win?
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 2 wins & 11 nominations total.
Who directed Roman J. Israel, Esq. and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Dan Gilroy, written by Dan Gilroy, shot by Robert Elswit, with music by James Newton Howard, edited by John Gilroy.
Where was Roman J. Israel, Esq. filmed?
Roman J. Israel, Esq. was filmed in United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Canada, China. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Official Trailer
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