The Black Phone Budget
HorrorThriller1h 43mUpdated
Synopsis
Finney Blake, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.
What is the budget of The Black Phone?
"The Black Phone," a horror released in 2022, was directed by Scott Derrickson and stars Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw. The production budget was $16,000,000, placing it in the low-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.
What were the major cost factors in The Black Phone?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Black Phone."
- 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 The Black Phone's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $16,000,000, The Black Phone sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Nobody (2021): Budget $16,000,000, Worldwide Gross $57,512,470
- Thelma & Louise (1991): Budget $16,000,000, Worldwide Gross $45,361,000
- 10 Things I Hate About You (1999): Budget $16,000,000, Worldwide Gross $53,478,166
- Bones and All (2022): Budget $16,000,000, Worldwide Gross $15,234,907
- The Princess Bride (1987): Budget $16,000,000, Worldwide Gross $30,900,000
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Black Phone Box Office Performance
"The Black Phone" earned $90,123,230 domestically and $161,441,914 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $16,000,000, 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 "The Black Phone," that break-even threshold was roughly $32,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $161,441,914, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $16,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $161,441,914
- Net Return: $145,441,914
- ROI: approximately 909%
At 909%, "The Black Phone" earned roughly $10.09 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
10 wins & 18 nominations total
- Saturn Award for Best Horror Film
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Black Phone (2022)?
The production budget was $16,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $8,000,000 - $12,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $24,000,000 - $28,800,000.
How much did The Black Phone (2022) earn at the box office?
The Black Phone grossed $90,123,230 domestic, $71,318,684 international, totaling $161,441,914 worldwide.
Was The Black Phone (2022) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $16,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$40,000,000, the film earned $161,441,914 theatrically - a 909% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Black Phone?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design.
How does The Black Phone's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $16,000,000, The Black Phone is classified as a low-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: Nobody (2021, $16,000,000); Thelma & Louise (1991, $16,000,000); 10 Things I Hate About You (1999, $16,000,000).
Did The Black Phone (2022) 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 Black Phone?
The theatrical ROI was 909.0%, calculated as ($161,441,914 − $16,000,000) ÷ $16,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The Black Phone (2022) win?
10 wins & 18 nominations total.
Who directed The Black Phone and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Scott Derrickson, written by Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, shot by Brett Jutkiewicz, with music by Mark Korven, edited by Frédéric Thoraval.
Where was The Black Phone filmed?
The Black Phone was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The Black Phone
Official Trailer
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