Saltburn Budget

What is the budget of Saltburn?

"Saltburn," a drama released in 2023, was directed by Emerald Fennell and stars Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi. The production budget was $20,000,000, 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.
• Filming & Locations: Filming began on 16 July 2022, with Linus Sandgren serving as cinematographer.

What were the major cost factors in Saltburn?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Saltburn."

• 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 Saltburn's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $20,000,000, Saltburn sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• 12 Years a Slave (2013): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $187,000,000
• 21 Grams (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $60,427,839
• 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $11,798,854
• A Guy Thing (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,400,000
• A Most Violent Year (2014): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $12,007,070

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Saltburn Box Office Performance

"Saltburn" earned $11,425,829 domestically and $21,013,738 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $20,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Saltburn," that break-even threshold was roughly $40,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $21,013,738, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $20,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $21,013,738
• Net Return: $1,013,738
• ROI: approximately 5.1%

At 5.1%, "Saltburn" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.

Saltburn Production History

Filming began on 16 July 2022, with Linus Sandgren serving as cinematographer. The film is shown in a 4:3 aspect ratio, with Fennell saying it gives the impression of "peeping in". which had never been used for a film before.

The film is scored by Anthony Willis, who previously scored Fennell's Promising Young Woman. The soundtrack was released by Milan Records on 17 November 2023. Sophie Ellis-Bextor's 2001 song "Murder on the Dancefloor" was featured in the last scene of the film.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 5 BAFTA 18 wins & 110 nominations total

Critical Reception

Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an "A+" to "F" scale, and those polled by PostTrak gave it a 75% overall positive score, and 42% said they would definitely recommend it.