The Eight Hundred Budget
Updated
Synopsis
In 1937, eight hundred Chinese soldiers fight under siege from a warehouse in the middle of the Shanghai battlefield, completely surrounded by the Japanese army.
What is the budget of The Eight Hundred?
"The Eight Hundred," a war released in 2020, was directed by Guan Hu and stars Wang Qianyuan, Zhang Yi. The production budget was $80,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for war productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a war 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.
What were the major cost factors in The Eight Hundred?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Eight Hundred."
- Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in war productions of this scale.
- Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in war productions of this scale.
- Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in war productions of this scale.
How Does The Eight Hundred's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $80,000,000, The Eight Hundred sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Edge of Darkness (2010): Budget $80,000,000, Worldwide Gross $81,126,522
- Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010): Budget $80,000,000 , Gross $140,073,390
- Meet the Fockers (2004): Budget $80,000,000, Worldwide Gross $516,642,939
- Shutter Island (2010): Budget $80,000,000, Worldwide Gross $294,804,195
- The Lego Batman Movie (2017): Budget $80,000,000, Worldwide Gross $311,950,384
The median budget for wide-release war films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Eight Hundred Box Office Performance
"The Eight Hundred" earned $372,755 domestically and $461,421,559 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $80,000,000, 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 Eight Hundred," that break-even threshold was roughly $160,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $461,421,559, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $80,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $461,421,559
- Net Return: $381,421,559
- ROI: approximately 476.8%
At 476.8%, "The Eight Hundred" earned roughly $5.77 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
27 wins & 40 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Eight Hundred (2020)?
The production budget was $80,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $40,000,000 - $64,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $120,000,000 - $144,000,000.
How much did The Eight Hundred (2020) earn at the box office?
The Eight Hundred grossed $372,755 domestic, $461,048,804 international, totaling $461,421,559 worldwide.
Was The Eight Hundred (2020) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $80,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$200,000,000, the film earned $461,421,559 theatrically - a 477% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Eight Hundred?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Wang Qianyuan, Zhang Yi, Huang Zhizhong); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does The Eight Hundred's budget compare to similar war films?
At $80,000,000, The Eight Hundred is classified as a mid-budget production. The median budget for wide-release war films in the 2020s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Edge of Darkness (2010, $80,000,000); Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010, $80,000,000); Meet the Fockers (2004, $80,000,000).
Did The Eight Hundred (2020) 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 Eight Hundred?
The theatrical ROI was 476.8%, calculated as ($461,421,559 − $80,000,000) ÷ $80,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The Eight Hundred (2020) win?
27 wins & 40 nominations total.
Who directed The Eight Hundred and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Guan Hu, written by Zhang Xiaobei, Zhao Dongling, Zhao Ningyu, Guan Hu, shot by Cao Yu, with music by Rupert Gregson-Williams, Andrew Kawczynski, edited by Tu Yiran, He Yongyi.
Where was The Eight Hundred filmed?
The Eight Hundred was filmed in China. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The Eight Hundred
Official Trailer
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