The Conjuring 2 Budget
Horror2h 14mUpdated
Synopsis
Lorraine and Ed Warren travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits.
What is the budget of The Conjuring 2?
"The Conjuring 2," a horror released in 2016, was directed by James Wan and stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson. The production budget was $40,000,000, placing it in the mid-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.
- Development: In July 2013, prior to The Conjuring release, Variety reported that New Line Cinema was already in the early stages of development of a sequel with Chad Hayes and Carey W.
What were the major cost factors in The Conjuring 2?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Conjuring 2."
- 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 Conjuring 2's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $40,000,000, The Conjuring 2 sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 42 (2013): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $95,020,213
- A Few Good Men (1992): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $243,240,178
- Big Trouble (2002): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $8,493,890
- Boomerang (1992): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $131,052,444
- Fifty Shades of Grey (2015): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $569,651,467
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Conjuring 2 Box Office Performance
"The Conjuring 2" earned $322,819,915 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $40,000,000, 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 Conjuring 2," that break-even threshold was roughly $80,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $322,819,915, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $40,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $322,819,915
- Net Return: $282,819,915
- ROI: approximately 707%
At 707%, "The Conjuring 2" earned roughly $8.07 for every $1 invested in production.
The Conjuring 2 Production History
In July 2013, prior to The Conjuring release, Variety reported that New Line Cinema was already in the early stages of development of a sequel with Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes writing the script, following the positive test screenings and reviews of the first film. Final Destination 5 writer Eric Heisserer would later be brought in to doctor the Hayes' script, focusing mainly on dialogue.
Principal photography for The Conjuring 2 began on September 21, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. Due to an inexplicable series of events during production of the first film, a priest from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe was brought in to bless the set of the sequel by the film's producers. Production moved to London on November 18, 2015, with filming taking place in and around The Warrington, a pub in the residential district of Maida Vale.
The original musical score for The Conjuring 2 was written by Joseph Bishara and was released on June 3, 2016, by WaterTower Music. Bishara, a recurring collaborator of director James Wan, composed the score after having previously written the music for The Conjuring and the Insidious film series. Lead actor Patrick Wilson performs Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love" on a guitar in the film, while songs such as the Clash's "London Calling", the Bee Gees' "I Started a Joke" and the traditional nursery rhymes "This Old Man" and "There Was a Crooked Man" are also featured.
Critical Reception
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of A− on an A+ to F scale, the same score earned by its predecessor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Conjuring 2 (2016)?
The production budget was $40,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $20,000,000 - $32,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $60,000,000 - $72,000,000.
How much did The Conjuring 2 (2016) earn at the box office?
The Conjuring 2 grossed $322,819,915 worldwide.
Was The Conjuring 2 (2016) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $40,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$100,000,000, the film earned $322,819,915 theatrically - a 707% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Conjuring 2?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design.
How does The Conjuring 2's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $40,000,000, The Conjuring 2 is classified as a mid-budget production. The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 42 (2013, $40,000,000); A Few Good Men (1992, $40,000,000); Big Trouble (2002, $40,000,000).
Did The Conjuring 2 (2016) 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 Conjuring 2?
The theatrical ROI was 707.0%, calculated as ($322,819,915 − $40,000,000) ÷ $40,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
Who directed The Conjuring 2 and who were the key crew members?
Directed by James Wan, written by Chad Hayes, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Carey Hayes, James Wan, shot by Don Burgess, with music by Joseph Bishara, edited by Kirk M. Morri.
Where was The Conjuring 2 filmed?
The Conjuring 2 was filmed in United States of America. Principal photography for The Conjuring 2 began on September 21, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. Due to an inexplicable series of events during production of the first film, a priest from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe was brought in to bless the set of the sequel by the film's producers. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The Conjuring 2
Official Trailer
Budget Templates
Build your own production budget
Create professional budgets with industry-standard feature film templates. Real-time collaboration, no spreadsheets.
Start Budgeting Free
