Sasquatch Sunset Budget
FantasyComedy1h 29mUpdated
Synopsis
A family of Sasquatch makes its way through a year in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, foraging, mating, mourning, and contending with the slow encroachment of human civilization. The dialogue-free experimental drama follows the creatures across four seasons as their habitat narrows.
What is known about the production of Sasquatch Sunset?
"Sasquatch Sunset," a fantasy released in 2024, was directed by David Zellner, Nathan Zellner and stars Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg. The production budget has not been publicly disclosed, though Square Peg, Felix Culpa, The Space Program produced the film, making it a notable entry in the fantasy landscape whose financial details remain private.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a fantasy production like this include:
- Production: In August 2022, Jesse Eisenberg announced his involvement in the film as an actor and producer, with David Zellner and Nathan Zellner directing.
What were the major cost factors in Sasquatch Sunset?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Sasquatch Sunset."
- Production: Production is one of the primary cost drivers in fantasy productions of this scale.
Sasquatch Sunset Box Office Performance
"Sasquatch Sunset" earned $1,008,662 domestically and $897,669 worldwide at the box office.
Awards and Recognition
3 nominations
Critical Reception
In his review, investigator Benjamin Radford describes how the movie incorporates “some common Bigfoot tropes and (alleged) evidence, including the reported behavior of beating on trees and howling to communicate. We also see them burying their dead, which is often offered as a convenient excuse by Bigfoot believers when asked to explain why no Sasquatch bones or skeletons have been found.”
How Does Sasquatch Sunset's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
- Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2014): Budget $1,500,000 | Worldwide $710,000. The Zellner Brothers' previous Sundance feature operated at a comparable micro scale and similarly leaned on a single committed lead performance.
- Bigfoot (2009): Budget under $1,000,000 | Worldwide undisclosed. A low budget cryptid drama that played the festival circuit, showing the limited commercial appetite for sincere Sasquatch material before this picture.
- The Witch (2015): Budget $4,000,000 | Worldwide $40,423,945. Another A24 era genre experiment that succeeded financially by leaning into atmosphere over plot, a model the Zellners reference visually.
- Stay Awake (2022): Budget undisclosed | Worldwide $200,000. Bleecker Street's 2022 acquisition with a similarly limited theatrical footprint, useful for understanding the distributor's economics around art house releases.
Sasquatch Sunset Production History
Sasquatch Sunset originated as a long-running idea between brothers David Zellner and Nathan Zellner, who had wanted to make a Bigfoot picture for more than a decade. The Zellners co-wrote and co-directed the film, with David Zellner also taking one of the lead Sasquatch roles. Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, and Christophe Zajac-Denek committed to playing the remaining members of the family entirely in prosthetic suits and silicone facial appliances designed by Steve Newburn at Northwest Effects.
The picture was financed and produced by ACE Pictures Entertainment, Felix Culpa, and the New York based Square Peg, with Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, and Tyler Campellone among the producers. Square Peg's involvement gave the film an A24 adjacent sensibility, while Bleecker Street picked up domestic distribution after the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024.
Principal photography took place across the forests of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest in 2022. The shoot ran roughly 30 days and was logistically demanding because of the prosthetic call times, weather, and the absence of conventional dialogue. The score by The Octopus Project, recorded with the cast performing creature vocalizations on set, was central to the dialogue-free design.
Bleecker Street released Sasquatch Sunset in limited theatrical engagement on April 12, 2024, expanded the run on April 19, and concluded the theatrical window in late June. The film's decisive walkout reactions at Sundance became part of the marketing identity, with the distributor leaning into the picture's singular tone in press materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the production budget of Sasquatch Sunset (2024)?
The exact production budget of Sasquatch Sunset has not been publicly disclosed. Industry estimates place the figure in the low single digit millions, consistent with the Zellner Brothers' prior independent features.
How much did Sasquatch Sunset gross worldwide?
Sasquatch Sunset grossed $897,669 across its limited theatrical release in the United States, which Bleecker Street handled directly. The picture did not receive a wide international theatrical rollout.
Who directed Sasquatch Sunset?
Sasquatch Sunset was co-directed by brothers David Zellner and Nathan Zellner, who also co-wrote the screenplay and edited the picture.
Who stars in Sasquatch Sunset?
Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, and Nathan Zellner play the four members of the Sasquatch family. All performances are delivered entirely through movement and creature vocalizations, with no spoken dialogue.
Where was Sasquatch Sunset filmed?
Sasquatch Sunset was shot on location in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest in 2022, using national forest land and remote wilderness areas.
Who designed the Sasquatch prosthetics?
Steve Newburn at Northwest Effects designed and applied the full body Sasquatch suits and silicone facial prosthetics, which required several hours per cast member per shoot day.
Where did Sasquatch Sunset premiere?
Sasquatch Sunset world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 and went on to play SXSW before its US theatrical release on April 12, 2024.
Who distributed Sasquatch Sunset?
Bleecker Street acquired US distribution rights out of Sundance and handled the limited theatrical release, with home video later released through MUBI and other streaming partners.
Does Sasquatch Sunset have any dialogue?
Sasquatch Sunset has no human language dialogue. The four creatures communicate through grunts, hoots, and gestures, and the film foregrounds its score and ambient sound throughout.
What is Sasquatch Sunset rated and how long is it?
Sasquatch Sunset is rated R by the MPAA for sexual content, full nudity, and bloody images, and has a running time of 89 minutes.
Filmmakers
Sasquatch Sunset
Official Trailer
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