The Dead Don't Die Budget
ComedyHorror1h 44mUpdated
Synopsis
In the sleepy town of Centerville, the lives of a number of interconnected characters are disrupted by the undead.
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.
INDUSTRY IMPACT
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Summary: 2 wins & 7 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Dead Don't Die (2019)?
The production budget was $11,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $5,500,000 - $8,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $16,500,000 - $19,800,000.
How much did The Dead Don't Die (2019) earn at the box office?
The Dead Don't Die grossed $6,563,605 domestic, $8,761,863 international, totaling $15,325,468 worldwide.
Was The Dead Don't Die (2019) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $15,325,468 against an estimated $27,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Dead Don't Die?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloë Sevigny); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns; international production across United States of America, Sweden, Japan.
How does The Dead Don't Die's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $11,000,000, The Dead Don't Die is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Forsaken (2015, $11,000,000); Barry Lyndon (1975, $11,000,000); Alien (1979, $11,000,000).
Did The Dead Don't Die (2019) 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 Dead Don't Die?
The theatrical ROI was 39.3%, calculated as ($15,325,468 − $11,000,000) ÷ $11,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The Dead Don't Die (2019) win?
2 wins & 7 nominations total.
Who directed The Dead Don't Die and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Jim Jarmusch, written by Jim Jarmusch, shot by Frederick Elmes, with music by Carter Logan, edited by Affonso Gonçalves.
Where was The Dead Don't Die filmed?
The Dead Don't Die was filmed in United States of America, Sweden, Japan. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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The Dead Don't Die
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