Sleight Budget
DramaThrillerActionScience Fiction1h 29mUpdated
Synopsis
A young street magician is left to take care of his little sister after his mother's passing and turns to drug dealing in the Los Angeles party scene to keep a roof over their heads. When he gets into trouble with his supplier, his sister is kidnapped and he is forced to rely on both his sleight of hand and brilliant mind to save her.
What is the budget of Sleight?
"Sleight," a drama released in 2016, was directed by J.D. Dillard and stars Jacob Latimore, Seychelle Gabriel. The production budget was $250,000, placing it in the micro-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.
- Music & Score: The Sleight soundtrack was put out by Lakeshore Records on May 12, 2017.
What were the major cost factors in Sleight?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Sleight."
- 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 Sleight's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $250,000, Sleight sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- High and Low (1963): Budget $250,000
- The Kid (1921): Budget $250,000, Worldwide Gross $5,450,000
- Rashomon (1950): Budget $250,000, Worldwide Gross $117,668
- Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare (2025): Budget $250,000, Worldwide Gross $1,561,361
- Terrifier 2 (2022): Budget $250,000, Worldwide Gross $15,741,780
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Sleight Box Office Performance
"Sleight" earned $3,989,705 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $250,000, 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 "Sleight," that break-even threshold was roughly $500,000. With worldwide earnings of $3,989,705, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $250,000
- Worldwide Gross: $3,989,705
- Net Return: $3,739,705
- ROI: approximately 1495.9%
At 1495.9%, "Sleight" earned roughly $15.96 for every $1 invested in production.
Sleight Production History
The Sleight soundtrack was put out by Lakeshore Records on May 12, 2017. It contains 28 tracks by various artists, showcasing the original score by Charles Scott IV and including music by Thugli, Georgi Kay, Julien Jabre, Kid Ikarus and AmirSaysNothing.
Critical Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 81% based on 43 reviews and an average rating of 6.10/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Sleight subverts genre norms, delivering a smart and well-acted , if ultimately somewhat frustrating , magical mystery." On Metacritic, the film has a score 62 out of 100 based on reviews from 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Sleight (2016)?
The production budget was $250,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $125,000 - $200,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $375,000 - $450,000.
How much did Sleight (2016) earn at the box office?
Sleight grossed $3,989,705 worldwide.
Was Sleight (2016) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $250,000 and estimated total costs of ~$625,000, the film earned $3,989,705 theatrically - a 1496% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Sleight?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Jacob Latimore, Seychelle Gabriel, Storm Reid); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does Sleight's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $250,000, Sleight is classified as a ultra-low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: High and Low (1963, $250,000); The Kid (1921, $250,000); Rashomon (1950, $250,000).
Did Sleight (2016) 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 Sleight?
The theatrical ROI was 1495.9%, calculated as ($3,989,705 − $250,000) ÷ $250,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
Who directed Sleight and who were the key crew members?
Directed by J.D. Dillard, written by Alex Theurer, J.D. Dillard, shot by Ed Wu, with music by Charles Scott IV, edited by Joel Griffen.
Where was Sleight filmed?
Sleight was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Sleight
Official Trailer
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