Sex and the City 2

Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for Sex and the City 2?

Directed by Michael Patrick King, with Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis leading the cast, Sex and the City 2 was produced by Village Roadshow Pictures with a confirmed budget of $100,000,000, placing it in the big-budget category for comedy films as part of the Sex and the City Collection.

A budget of $100,000,000 represents a significant studio commitment. Including estimated P&A of $50–100 million, the total investment likely approached $170,000,000–$200,000,000, requiring approximately $250,000,000 in worldwide grosses to break even.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• 1917 (2019): Budget $100,000,000 | Gross $446,064,352 → ROI: 346% • American Gangster (2007): Budget $100,000,000 | Gross $269,755,430 → ROI: 170% • Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024): Budget $100,000,000 | Gross $404,547,819 → ROI: 305% • Batman Forever (1995): Budget $100,000,000 | Gross $336,529,144 → ROI: 237% • Bicentennial Man (1999): Budget $100,000,000 | Gross $87,423,861 → ROI: -13%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ Talent Salaries & Producing Deals Established comedic talent can command $15–20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals. Comedy ensembles multiply this cost across several well-known performers.

▸ Production & Location Filming While comedies generally avoid the VFX costs of action films, location shooting in recognizable cities or exotic locales adds meaningful production expense.

▸ Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) Comedies rely heavily on marketing to build opening-weekend momentum. Studios typically spend 50–100% of the production budget on marketing, with comedy trailers and social media campaigns being particularly expensive.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth Key roles: Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw; Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones; Kristin Davis as Charlotte York; Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes

DIRECTOR: Michael Patrick King CINEMATOGRAPHY: John Thomas MUSIC: Aaron Zigman EDITING: Michael Berenbaum PRODUCTION: Village Roadshow Pictures, New Line Cinema, Darren Star Productions, HBO FILMED IN: United States of America

Box Office Performance

Sex and the City 2 earned $95,347,692 domestically and $195,352,308 internationally, for a worldwide total of $290,700,000. International markets drove the majority of revenue (67%), indicating strong global appeal.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), Sex and the City 2 needed approximately $250,000,000 to break even. The film surpassed this threshold by $40,700,000.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $290,700,000 Budget: $100,000,000 Net: $190,700,000 ROI: 190.7%

Detailed Box Office Notes

Sex and the City 2 was released in 3,445 theaters across North America on May 27, 2010, marking one of the widest openings for an R-rated romantic comedy. It earned $3 million from its midnight screenings in 2,000 locations. On its opening day, the film grossed $14.2 million, initially projecting a $60 million four-day total and up to $75 million across the five-day Memorial Day weekend. Ultimately, the film debuted in second place behind Shrek Forever After, earning $31 million over the traditional three-day weekend and $45.2 million over four days. Its five-day Memorial Day total reached $51 million.

Internationally, the film topped box office charts in several major markets, including Germany for five consecutive weeks, the United Kingdom for three weeks, and Australia for two weeks. It also surpassed the performance of the original film in territories such as Japan and Greece. In multiple markets, the sequel sold more tickets than its predecessor.

As of August 19, 2010, the film had grossed $95.3 million in the United States and Canada, with an additional $199.3 million from international markets, bringing its worldwide total to $294.7 million.[4] Although this was approximately 27% lower than the global earnings of the first film, Sex and the City 2 was the highest-grossing romantic comedy of 2010.

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Profitable

Sex and the City 2 delivered a solid return, earning $290,700,000 worldwide on a $100,000,000 budget (191% ROI). Combined with ancillary revenue, the film was a financial positive for Village Roadshow Pictures.

INDUSTRY IMPACT

Franchise: Sex and the City 2 is part of the Sex and the City Collection.

PRODUCTION NOTES

▸ Development

The cast confirmed in February 2009 that a sequel to Sex and the City was in development. Filming officially began in August 2009.

Writer and director Michael Patrick King noted that the sequel would differ in tone and scope from the first film, incorporating more exotic locations and larger-scale escapism. He attributed this change to his experiences promoting the original film in international markets and to a desire to create a story offering fantasy and glamour during the global recession—citing the escapist comedies of the 1930s as an influence. Abu Dhabi was selected as a central location due to its reputation for high fashion and relative economic resilience during the recession. However, filming permission in the United Arab Emirates was ultimately denied. Several supporting cast members from the series and first film also reprised their roles, including Evan Handler as Harry Goldenblatt, David Eigenberg as Steve Brady, John Corbett as Aidan Shaw, Willie Garson as Stanford Blatch, and Mario Cantone as Anthony Marentino. King returned as writer and director, and Patricia Field again oversaw costume design, with hats by Prudence Millinery for Vivienne Westwood.

Entertainment Weekly reported the production budget as $95 million—$30 million more than the first film—with Sarah Jessica Parker receiving $15 million plus residuals for her dual role as producer and lead actress.

▸ Casting

In September 2009, Liza Minnelli confirmed her cameo appearance in the film. While Bette Midler was photographed on set, she does not appear in the final cut. Penélope Cruz appears briefly in a scene as Carmen, a banker. Miley Cyrus also appears in a cameo, sharing a red carpet scene with Samantha while wearing the same outfit. Photos from the shoot were published online in October 2009.

John Corbett, who portrayed Aidan Shaw in the television series and first film, was photographed on location in Morocco, confirming his return in the sequel.

▸ Filming & Locations

Filming in New York City was delayed until late July 2009 due to the denial of filming permits by Emirati authorities. As a result, the Abu Dhabi scenes were instead shot in Morocco. Principal photography began on September 1, 2009, and continued through the end of the year.

The Moroccan shoot took place in various locations, including the seaside town of Sidi Kaouki. Originally planned for 13 days, the shoot extended to nearly six weeks. All four main actresses, along with other cast and crew members, were photographed on location in November 2009.

[Filming] Filming in New York City was delayed until late July 2009 due to the denial of filming permits by Emirati authorities. As a result, the Abu Dhabi scenes were instead shot in Morocco. Principal photography began on September 1, 2009, and continued through the end of the year.

The Moroccan shoot took place in various locations, including the seaside town of Sidi Kaouki. Originally planned for 13 days, the shoot extended to nearly six weeks. All four main actresses, along with other cast and crew members, were photographed on location in November 2009.

▸ Music & Score

Sex and the City 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on May 25, 2010, by WaterTower Music. The album features songs from and inspired by the film.

The original score was composed by Aaron Zigman and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony. It was recorded and mixed by Dennis S. Sands and Steve Kempster. The score was orchestrated by Stephen Coleman, who also conducted, with additional orchestration by Patrick Kirst.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Summary: 9 wins & 9 nominations total

Additional Recognition: Sex and the City 2 received seven nominations at the 31st Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture. It went on to win three awards, including a joint Worst Actress award for the four "gal pals" (Parker, Cattrall, Nixon, and Davis). David Eigenberg expressed interest in receiving the Worst Couple/Screen Ensemble Razzie, which was awarded to the entire cast. According to Razzies founder John J. B. Wilson, "[Eigenberg] said that he had never won an award of any kind and if this was what he won, he would accept it." Eigenberg then collaborated with Wilson to make a humorous acceptance video which was posted on the official YouTube channel of the Golden Raspberry Awards.

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CRITICAL RECEPTION

Sex and the City 2 was critically panned. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Sex and the City 2 holds an approval rating of 16% based on 217 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. In comparison, the first film scored 49% based on 183 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The critical consensus reads: "Straining under a thin plot stretched to its limit by a bloated running time, Sex and the City 2 adds an unfortunate coda to the long-running HBO series." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 27 out of 100 based on 39 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".

The film faced widespread criticism, particularly for its depiction of Middle Eastern culture. Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter described the film as "blatantly anti-Muslim", while Hadley Freeman of The Guardian called the trailers "borderline racist". Andrew O'Hagan of the Evening Standard wrote that the film "could be the most stupid, the most racist, the most polluting and women-hating film of the year." Roger Ebert awarded it one out of four stars, criticizing the characters as "flyweight bubbleheads", the narration as redundant, and the visual presentation as "arthritic".

Lindy West, writing for The Stranger, published a widely discussed review, stating that the film "takes everything that I hold dear as a woman and as a human... and rapes it to death with a stiletto that costs more than my car," further criticizing its excessive runtime and perceived lack of substance. British critic Mark Kermode also gave a strongly negative review, later naming it the worst film of 2010, stating he could think of nothing "more poisonous, more repugnant, more repulsive, more retrograde, more depressing than Sex and the City 2." Time included it in its list of the "10 Worst Movies Based on TV Shows".