

The Croods Budget
Updated
Synopsis
The Croods is a 3D comedy adventure that follows the world's first modern family as they embark on a journey of a lifetime when the cave that has always been their home, is destroyed. Traveling across a spectacular landscape, the Croods are rocked by generational clashes and seismic shifts as they discover an incredible new world filled with fantastic creatures -- and their outlook is changed forever.
What is the budget of The Croods?
"The Croods," a animation released in 2013, was directed by Chris Sanders, Kirk DeMicco and stars Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone. The production budget was $135,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for animation productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a animation production like this include:
- Animation Production Pipeline: The bulk of an animated film's budget funds the multi-year production pipeline: storyboarding, character modeling, rigging, animation, lighting, rendering, and compositing.
- Voice Talent: Celebrity voice casting has become standard for studio animation, with A-list actors earning $5 to 15 million for voice roles.
- Music, Songs & Sound Design: Original songs and orchestral scores are central to animated storytelling. Sound design for animated worlds must be created entirely from scratch.
What were the major cost factors in The Croods?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Croods."
- Animation Production Pipeline: Animation Production Pipeline is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
- Voice Talent: Voice Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
- Music: Music, Songs & Sound Design is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
How Does The Croods's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $135,000,000, The Croods sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Bumblebee (2018): Budget $135,000,000, Worldwide Gross $467,989,645
- Home (2015): Budget $135,000,000, Worldwide Gross $368,871,007
- Rango (2011): Budget $135,000,000, Worldwide Gross $245,724,603
- The Revenant (2015): Budget $135,000,000, Worldwide Gross $532,950,503
- The World Is Not Enough (1999): Budget $135,000,000, Worldwide Gross $361,832,400
The median budget for wide-release animation films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Croods Box Office Performance
"The Croods" earned $187,168,425 domestically and $587,204,668 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $135,000,000, 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 Croods," that break-even threshold was roughly $270,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $587,204,668, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $135,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $587,204,668
- Net Return: $452,204,668
- ROI: approximately 335%
At 335%, "The Croods" earned roughly $4.35 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 5 wins & 46 nominations total
- Annie Award
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Croods (2013)?
The production budget was $135,000,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $67,500,000 - $108,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $202,500,000 - $243,000,000.
How much did The Croods (2013) earn at the box office?
The Croods grossed $187,168,425 domestic, $400,036,243 international, totaling $587,204,668 worldwide.
Was The Croods (2013) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $135,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$337,500,000, the film earned $587,204,668 theatrically - a 335% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Croods?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds); multi-year animation production, celebrity voice talent, and original musical compositions.
How does The Croods's budget compare to similar animation films?
At $135,000,000, The Croods is classified as a big-budget production. The median budget for wide-release animation films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Bumblebee (2018, $135,000,000); Home (2015, $135,000,000); Rango (2011, $135,000,000).
Did The Croods (2013) 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 Croods?
The theatrical ROI was 335.0%, calculated as ($587,204,668 − $135,000,000) ÷ $135,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The Croods (2013) win?
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 5 wins & 46 nominations total.
Who directed The Croods and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Chris Sanders, Kirk DeMicco, written by Chris Sanders, John Cleese, Kirk DeMicco, shot by Yong Duk Jhun, with music by Alan Silvestri, edited by Darren T. Holmes.
Where was The Croods filmed?
The Croods was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The Croods
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