Synecdoche, New York Budget
Drama2h 4mUpdated
Synopsis
Theater director Caden Cotard is mounting a new play. His life catering to suburban blue-hairs at the local regional theater in Schenectady, N.Y., is looking bleak. His wife Adele has left him to pursue her painting in Berlin, taking their young daughter Olive with her. His therapist, Madeleine Gravis, is better at plugging her best-seller than she is at counseling him. A new relationship with the alluringly candid Hazel has prematurely run aground. And a mysterious condition is systematically shutting down each of his autonomic functions, one by one. Worried about the transience of his life, he leaves his home behind. He gathers an ensemble cast into a warehouse in New York City, hoping to create a work of brutal honesty. He directs them in a celebration of the mundane, instructing each to live out their constructed lives in a growing mockup of the city outside. The years rapidly fold into each other, and Caden buries himself deeper into his masterpiece, but the textured tangle of real and theatrical relationships blurs the line between the world of the play and that of Caden’s own deteriorating reality.
What is the budget of Synecdoche, New York?
"Synecdoche, New York," a drama released in 2008, was directed by Charlie Kaufman and stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton. The production budget was $20,000,000, placing it in the mid-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.
- Production: After the success of Kaufman's previous three screenplays, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, all Oscar nominees or winners, Sony Pictures Classics approached Kaufman and Spike Jonze about making a horror film.
What were the major cost factors in Synecdoche, New York?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Synecdoche, New York."
- 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 Synecdoche, New York's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $20,000,000, Synecdoche, New York sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 12 Years a Slave (2013): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $187,000,000
- 21 Grams (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $60,427,839
- 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $11,798,854
- A Guy Thing (2003): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,400,000
- A Most Violent Year (2014): Budget $20,000,000, Worldwide Gross $12,007,070
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2000s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Synecdoche, New York Box Office Performance
"Synecdoche, New York" earned $3,083,538 domestically and $4,383,538 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $20,000,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Synecdoche, New York," that break-even threshold was roughly $40,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $4,383,538, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $20,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $4,383,538
- Net Return: −$15,616,462
- ROI: approximately -78.1%
At -78.1%, "Synecdoche, New York" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
8 wins & 29 nominations total
Critical Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 69% based on 195 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Charlie Kaufman's ambitious directorial debut occasionally strains to connect, but ultimately provides fascinating insight into a writer's mind." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Several critics have compared it to Federico Fellini's 1963 film 8½.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Synecdoche, New York (2008)?
The production budget was $20,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $10,000,000 - $16,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $30,000,000 - $36,000,000.
How much did Synecdoche, New York (2008) earn at the box office?
Synecdoche, New York grossed $3,083,538 domestic, $1,300,000 international, totaling $4,383,538 worldwide.
Was Synecdoche, New York (2008) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $4,383,538 against an estimated $50,000,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Synecdoche, New York?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does Synecdoche, New York's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $20,000,000, Synecdoche, New York is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2000s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 12 Years a Slave (2013, $20,000,000); 21 Grams (2003, $20,000,000); 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994, $20,000,000).
Did Synecdoche, New York (2008) 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 Synecdoche, New York?
The theatrical ROI was -78.1%, calculated as ($4,383,538 − $20,000,000) ÷ $20,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Synecdoche, New York (2008) win?
8 wins & 29 nominations total.
Who directed Synecdoche, New York and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Charlie Kaufman, written by Charlie Kaufman, shot by Frederick Elmes, with music by Jon Brion, edited by Robert Frazen.
Where was Synecdoche, New York filmed?
Synecdoche, New York was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Synecdoche, New York
Official Trailer
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