The Best of Enemies Budget
DramaHistory2h 13mUpdated
Synopsis
Centers on the unlikely relationship between Ann Atwater, an outspoken civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis, a local Ku Klux Klan leader who reluctantly co-chaired a community summit, battling over the desegregation of schools in Durham, North Carolina during the racially-charged summer of 1971. The incredible events that unfolded would change Durham and the lives of Atwater and Ellis forever.
What is the budget of The Best of Enemies?
"The Best of Enemies," a drama released in 2019, was directed by Robin Bissell and stars Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell. The production budget was $10,000,000, placing it in the low-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.
What were the major cost factors in The Best of Enemies?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Best of Enemies."
- 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 The Best of Enemies's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $10,000,000, The Best of Enemies sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- By the Sea (2015): Budget $10,000,000, Worldwide Gross $3,727,746
- Eye for an Eye (2025): Budget $10,000,000
- Goal! (2005): Budget $10,000,000, Worldwide Gross $27,610,873
- Phantom (2013): Budget $10,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,197,759
- War of the Worlds (2025): Budget $10,000,000
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Best of Enemies Box Office Performance
"The Best of Enemies" earned $10,205,616 domestically. Against a production budget of $10,000,000, 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 "The Best of Enemies," that break-even threshold was roughly $20,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $10,205,616, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $10,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $10,205,616
- Net Return: $205,616
- ROI: approximately 2.1%
At 2.1%, "The Best of Enemies" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.
Awards and Recognition
5 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Best of Enemies (2019)?
The production budget was $10,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $5,000,000 - $8,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $15,000,000 - $18,000,000.
How much did The Best of Enemies (2019) earn at the box office?
Box office figures are not publicly available.
Was The Best of Enemies (2019) profitable?
Insufficient data for a profitability assessment.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Best of Enemies?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell, Babou Ceesay); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does The Best of Enemies's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $10,000,000, The Best of Enemies is classified as a 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: By the Sea (2015, $10,000,000); Eye for an Eye (2025, $10,000,000); Goal! (2005, $10,000,000).
Did The Best of Enemies (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 awards did The Best of Enemies (2019) win?
5 nominations total.
Who directed The Best of Enemies and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Robin Bissell, written by Robin Bissell, shot by David Lanzenberg, edited by Harry Yoon.
Where was The Best of Enemies filmed?
The Best of Enemies was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The Best of Enemies
Official Trailer
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