The Book of Henry Budget

What is the budget of The Book of Henry?

"The Book of Henry," a drama released in 2017, was directed by Colin Trevorrow and stars Naomi Watts, Jaeden Martell. 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.
• Production: Hurwitz wrote the first draft of the screenplay by 1998.

What were the major cost factors in The Book of Henry?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Book of Henry."

• 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 Book of Henry's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $10,000,000, The Book of Henry 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 Book of Henry Box Office Performance

"The Book of Henry" earned $4,596,705 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $10,000,000, 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 Book of Henry," that break-even threshold was roughly $20,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $4,596,705, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $10,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $4,596,705
• Net Return: −$5,403,295
• ROI: approximately -54%

At -54%, "The Book of Henry" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Awards and Recognition

• Goldene Kamera

Critical Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 21% based on 146 reviews, with an average rating of 4.10/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Book of Henry deserves a few points for ambition, but its tonal juggling act , and a deeply maudlin twist , may leave viewers gaping in disbelief rather than choking back tears." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 31 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".