As the warm, bright sun refuses to set, and a series of equally perplexing events start to take place, the world, and the blissfully unsuspecting residents of the sleepy town of Centerville, are about to face the effects of corporate greed. Then, as the stone-faced police officers, Chief Cliff Robertson and Officer Ronnie Peterson, stop for doughnuts and coffee at the town's diner, unusual activity in the moon-lit cemetery and a blood-soaked scene of carnage could only mean one thing: this is the work of flesh-eating zombies. Before long, Officer Mindy Morrison and the glacially beautiful, katana-wielding undertaker, Zelda Winston, join the team of defenders, as hordes of relentless, ravenous undead swarm into the once-peaceful town craving meat. More and more, humans are at risk of becoming an endangered species. What happens when the dead just don't want to die?

Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for The Dead Don't Die?

Directed by Jim Jarmusch, with Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloë Sevigny leading the cast, The Dead Don't Die was produced by Kill the Head with a confirmed budget of $11,000,000, placing it in the low-budget category for comedy films.

At $11,000,000, The Dead Don't Die was produced on a modest budget. Lower-budget films benefit from reduced break-even thresholds, with profitability achievable at approximately $27,500,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• Forsaken (2015): Budget $11,000,000 | Gross N/A • Barry Lyndon (1975): Budget $11,000,000 | Gross $31,500,000 → ROI: 186% • Alien (1979): Budget $11,000,000 | Gross $104,931,801 → ROI: 854% • Star Wars (1977): Budget $11,000,000 | Gross $775,398,007 → ROI: 6949% • The Lighthouse (2019): Budget $11,000,000 | Gross $18,262,464 → ROI: 66%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ Talent Salaries & Producing Deals Established comedic talent can command $15–20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals. Comedy ensembles multiply this cost across several well-known performers.

▸ Production & Location Filming While comedies generally avoid the VFX costs of action films, location shooting in recognizable cities or exotic locales adds meaningful production expense.

▸ Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) Comedies rely heavily on marketing to build opening-weekend momentum. Studios typically spend 50–100% of the production budget on marketing, with comedy trailers and social media campaigns being particularly expensive.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloë Sevigny, Tilda Swinton, Caleb Landry Jones Key roles: Bill Murray as Chief Cliff Robertson; Adam Driver as Officer Ronnie Peterson; Chloë Sevigny as Officer Mindy Morrison; Tilda Swinton as Zelda Winston

DIRECTOR: Jim Jarmusch CINEMATOGRAPHY: Frederick Elmes MUSIC: Carter Logan EDITING: Affonso Gonçalves PRODUCTION: Kill the Head, Animal Kingdom, Longride, Chimney Sweden, Film i Väst, Focus Features FILMED IN: United States of America, Sweden, Japan

Box Office Performance

The Dead Don't Die earned $6,563,605 domestically and $8,761,863 internationally, for a worldwide total of $15,325,468. Revenue was split 43% domestic / 57% international.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), The Dead Don't Die needed approximately $27,500,000 to break even. The film fell $12,174,532 short in theatrical revenue. Ancillary streams (home media, streaming, TV) may have bridged the gap.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $15,325,468 Budget: $11,000,000 Net: $4,325,468 ROI: 39.3%

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Modestly Profitable

The Dead Don't Die earned $15,325,468 against a $11,000,000 budget (39% ROI). Full profitability was likely achieved through ancillary revenue streams.