What is the budget of Scarface?

"Scarface," an action released in 1983, was directed by Brian De Palma and stars Al Pacino, Steven Bauer. The production budget was $25,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for action productions of the 1980s.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an action production like this include:

Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects: Action films allocate a substantial portion of their budget to choreographing and executing practical stunts, pyrotechnics, and CGI-heavy sequences.
Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director): A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation.
Production Design, Sets & Locations: Action films frequently require multiple international shooting locations, large-scale set construction, vehicle acquisitions and modifications, and specialized equipment , all of which drive production costs well above those of dialogue-driven genres.
Casting: Pacino worked with experts in knife combat, trainers and boxer Roberto Durán to attain the body type that he wanted for the role.

What were the major cost factors in Scarface?

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

Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.

How Does Scarface's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $25,000,000, Scarface sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

1408 (2007): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $133,000,000
A Journal for Jordan (2021): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,700,000
Abandon (2002): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $10,719,357
All My Life (2020): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $2,000,000
August Rush (2007): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $66,122,026

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

Scarface Box Office Performance

"Scarface" earned $45,408,703 domestically and $66,023,329 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $25,000,000, the film performed strongly at the box office.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Scarface," that break-even threshold was roughly $50,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $66,023,329, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

Production Budget: $25,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $66,023,329
Net Return: $41,023,329
ROI: approximately 164.1%

At 164.1%, "Scarface" earned roughly $2.64 for every $1 invested in production.

Scarface Production History

Pacino worked with experts in knife combat, trainers and boxer Roberto Durán to attain the body type that he wanted for the role. Durán also helped inspire the character, who had "a certain lion in him", according to Pacino. Sophie Zawistoska, Meryl Streep's immigrant character in Sophie's Choice (1982) also influenced Pacino's portrayal of Tony Montana.

The picture was shot over 24 weeks from November 22, 1982, to May 6, 1983. Although the film is set in Miami, the Miami Tourist Board declined requests to film there, fearing that the film's themes of drugs and gangsters would deter tourism. Instead, much of the film was shot in Los Angeles.

Instead of using popular music from the period in which the film is set, the music in Scarface was produced by Academy Award-winning Italian record producer Giorgio Moroder. Reflecting Moroder's style, the soundtrack consists mostly of synthesized new wave and electronic music. De Palma has stated that he has repeatedly denied Universal's requests to re-release the film with "a rap score" because he thinks that Moroder's score is perfect.