Shelby Oaks Budget
HorrorMystery1h 31mUpdated
Synopsis
A woman's obsessive search for her missing sister leads her into a terrifying mystery at the hands of an unknown evil.
What is the budget of Shelby Oaks?
"Shelby Oaks," a horror released in 2025, was directed by Chris Stuckmann and stars Camille Sullivan, Sarah Durn. The production budget was $1,400,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for horror productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a horror production like this include:
- Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup: Horror productions invest disproportionately in practical effects , prosthetic applications, animatronics, blood and gore effects, and creature suits. A single hero creature suit can cost $50,000 to 200,000.
- Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography: Creating dread through environment is essential. Abandoned locations must be secured and dressed, lighting rigs designed for shadow and tension, and sets built to enable specific camera movements and reveals.
- Sound Design & Score: Horror is arguably the most sound-dependent genre. Foley work, ambient textures, frequency manipulation, and jump-scare stingers require specialized sound designers working with unconventional techniques.
- Casting: During the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Robin Bartlett, Keith David, Charlie Talbert, Emily Bennett, and Sarah Durn were revealed as the cast, with Durn reprising her role from the original Paranormal Paranoids video campaign.
What were the major cost factors in Shelby Oaks?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Shelby Oaks."
- Practical Effects: Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Atmospheric Production Design: Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Sound Design: Sound Design & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
How Does Shelby Oaks's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $1,400,000, Shelby Oaks sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Embrace of the Serpent (2015): Budget $1,400,000, Worldwide Gross $1,320,005
- Dial M for Murder (1954): Budget $1,400,000, Worldwide Gross $3,000,000
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975): Budget $1,400,000, Worldwide Gross $171,181,400
- Bacurau (2019): Budget $1,430,000, Worldwide Gross $3,554,178
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938): Budget $1,488,423, Worldwide Gross $184,925,486
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Shelby Oaks Box Office Performance
"Shelby Oaks" earned $4,500,051 domestically and $2,350,523 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $1,400,000, 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 "Shelby Oaks," that break-even threshold was roughly $2,800,000. With worldwide earnings of $2,350,523, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $1,400,000
- Worldwide Gross: $2,350,523
- Net Return: $950,523
- ROI: approximately 67.9%
At 67.9%, "Shelby Oaks" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.
Shelby Oaks Production History
During the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Robin Bartlett, Keith David, Charlie Talbert, Emily Bennett, and Sarah Durn were revealed as the cast, with Durn reprising her role from the original Paranormal Paranoids video campaign.
Principal photography commenced on May 9, 2022, and concluded on June 5, Filming took place at various locations in Ohio, Reshoots occurred in March 2025 to increase the violence and gore and refine the film, which doubled the film's budget. Numerous clips from the original Paranormal Paranoids video series appear as part of the film's found footage segments. [Filming] Principal photography commenced on May 9, 2022, and concluded on June 5, Filming took place at various locations in Ohio, Reshoots occurred in March 2025 to increase the violence and gore and refine the film, which doubled the film's budget.
The film was scored by James Burkholder and the Newton Brothers, frequent collaborators of Flanagan. The official soundtrack was released digitally by Lakeshore Records on October 31, 2025.
Awards and Recognition
1 nomination total
Critical Reception
Shelby Oaks received mixed reviews from critics. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Shelby Oaks (2025)?
The production budget was $1,400,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $700,000 - $1,120,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $2,100,000 - $2,520,000.
How much did Shelby Oaks (2025) earn at the box office?
Shelby Oaks grossed $4,500,051 domestic, $-2,149,528 international, totaling $2,350,523 worldwide.
Was Shelby Oaks (2025) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $2,350,523 against an estimated $3,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Shelby Oaks?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Camille Sullivan, Sarah Durn, Brendan Sexton III); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design; international production across United States of America, Belgium.
How does Shelby Oaks's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $1,400,000, Shelby Oaks is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2020s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Embrace of the Serpent (2015, $1,400,000); Dial M for Murder (1954, $1,400,000); The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975, $1,400,000).
Did Shelby Oaks (2025) 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 Shelby Oaks?
The theatrical ROI was 67.9%, calculated as ($2,350,523 − $1,400,000) ÷ $1,400,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Shelby Oaks (2025) win?
1 nomination total.
Who directed Shelby Oaks and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Chris Stuckmann, written by Sam Liz, Chris Stuckmann, shot by Andrew Scott Baird, with music by James Burkholder, Andrew Grush, edited by Patrick Lawrence, Brett W. Bachman.
Where was Shelby Oaks filmed?
Shelby Oaks was filmed in United States of America, Belgium. Principal photography commenced on May 9, 2022, and concluded on June 5, Filming took place at various locations in Ohio, Reshoots occurred in March 2025 to increase the violence and gore and refine the film, which doubled the film's budget. Numerous clips from the original Paranormal Paranoids video series appear as part of the film's found footage segments. [Filming] Principal photography commenced on May 9, 2022, and concluded on June 5, Filming took place at various locations in Ohio, Reshoots occurred in March 2025 to increase the violence and gore and refine the film, which doubled the film's budget. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Shelby Oaks
Official Trailer
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