The Beach Bum Budget
ComedyDrama1h 35mUpdated
Synopsis
An irreverent comedy about the misadventures of Moondog, a rebellious stoner and lovable rogue who lives large.
What is the budget of The Beach Bum?
"The Beach Bum," a comedy released in 2019, was directed by Harmony Korine and stars Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg. The production budget was $5,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for comedy productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a comedy production like this include:
- Talent Salaries & Producing Deals: Established comedic talent can command $15 to 20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals.
- 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.
What were the major cost factors in The Beach Bum?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Beach Bum."
- Talent Salaries: Talent Salaries & Producing Deals is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Production: Production & Location Filming is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Marketing: Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
How Does The Beach Bum's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $5,000,000, The Beach Bum sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Come and See (1985): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $20,929,648
- Cinema Paradiso (1988): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $35,962,062
- Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985): Budget $5,000,000 , Gross $502,758
- Once Upon a Time in the West (1968): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $5,380,118
- A Separation (2011): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $24,426,169
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Beach Bum Box Office Performance
"The Beach Bum" earned $3,502,600 domestically and $4,554,416 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $5,000,000, 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 "The Beach Bum," that break-even threshold was roughly $10,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $4,554,416, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $5,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $4,554,416
- Net Return: −$445,584
- ROI: approximately -8.9%
At -8.9%, "The Beach Bum" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 7 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Beach Bum (2019)?
The production budget was $5,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $2,500,000 - $4,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $7,500,000 - $9,000,000.
How much did The Beach Bum (2019) earn at the box office?
The Beach Bum grossed $3,502,600 domestic, $1,051,816 international, totaling $4,554,416 worldwide.
Was The Beach Bum (2019) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $4,554,416 against an estimated $12,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Beach Bum?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns; international production across France, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America.
How does The Beach Bum's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $5,000,000, The Beach Bum is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Come and See (1985, $5,000,000); Cinema Paradiso (1988, $5,000,000); Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985, $5,000,000).
Did The Beach Bum (2019) 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 The Beach Bum?
The theatrical ROI was -8.9%, calculated as ($4,554,416 − $5,000,000) ÷ $5,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The Beach Bum (2019) win?
1 win & 7 nominations total.
Who directed The Beach Bum and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Harmony Korine, written by Harmony Korine, shot by Benoît Debie, with music by John Debney, edited by Douglas Crise.
Where was The Beach Bum filmed?
The Beach Bum was filmed in France, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The Beach Bum
Official Trailer
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