The Exorcist Budget
HorrorDrama2h 2mUpdated
Synopsis
When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.
What is the budget of The Exorcist?
"The Exorcist," a horror released in 1973, was directed by William Friedkin and stars Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair. The production budget was $12,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for horror productions of the 1970s.
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.
What were the major cost factors in The Exorcist?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Exorcist."
- 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 Exorcist's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $12,000,000, The Exorcist sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Goon (2012): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,985,158
- Jobs (2013): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,100,000
- All That Jazz (1979): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $37,823,676
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Budget $12,000,000 , Gross $71,923,560
- Wolfwalkers (2020): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,310,720
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Exorcist Box Office Performance
"The Exorcist" earned $233,005,644 domestically and $441,306,145 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $12,000,000, 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 Exorcist," that break-even threshold was roughly $24,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $441,306,145, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $12,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $441,306,145
- Net Return: $429,306,145
- ROI: approximately 3577.6%
At 3577.6%, "The Exorcist" earned roughly $36.78 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
Won 2 Oscars. 18 wins & 21 nominations total
- Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay: William Peter Blatty (31st Golden Globe Awards)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Director: William Friedkin (31st Golden Globe Awards)
- Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay: William Peter Blatty (46th Academy Awards)
- Saturn Award for Best Horror Film
- Academy Award for Best Sound: Chris Newman (46th Academy Awards)
- Academy Award for Best Sound: Robert Knudson (46th Academy Awards)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture: Drama (31st Golden Globe Awards)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress , Motion Picture: Linda Blair (31st Golden Globe Awards)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Exorcist (1973)?
The production budget was $12,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $6,000,000 - $9,600,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $18,000,000 - $21,600,000.
How much did The Exorcist (1973) earn at the box office?
The Exorcist grossed $233,005,644 domestic, $208,300,501 international, totaling $441,306,145 worldwide.
Was The Exorcist (1973) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $12,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$30,000,000, the film earned $441,306,145 theatrically - a 3578% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Exorcist?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design.
How does The Exorcist's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $12,000,000, The Exorcist is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release horror films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Goon (2012, $12,000,000); Jobs (2013, $12,000,000); All That Jazz (1979, $12,000,000).
Did The Exorcist (1973) 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 Exorcist?
The theatrical ROI was 3577.6%, calculated as ($441,306,145 − $12,000,000) ÷ $12,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The Exorcist (1973) win?
Won 2 Oscars. 18 wins & 21 nominations total.
Who directed The Exorcist and who were the key crew members?
Directed by William Friedkin, written by William Peter Blatty, shot by Owen Roizman, with music by Jack Nitzsche, edited by Norman Gay, Evan A. Lottman.
Where was The Exorcist filmed?
The Exorcist was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The Exorcist
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