Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for The Farewell?

Directed by Lulu Wang, with Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Hong Lu leading the cast, The Farewell was produced by Big Beach with a confirmed budget of $250,300, placing it in the ultra-low-budget category for comedy films.

At $250,300, The Farewell was produced on a lean budget. Lower-budget films benefit from reduced break-even thresholds, with profitability achievable at approximately $625,750.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• High and Low (1963): Budget $250,000 | Gross N/A • The Kid (1921): Budget $250,000 | Gross $5,450,000 → ROI: 2080% • Rashomon (1950): Budget $250,000 | Gross $117,668 → ROI: -53% • Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare (2025): Budget $250,000 | Gross $1,561,361 → ROI: 525% • Terrifier 2 (2022): Budget $250,000 | Gross $15,741,780 → ROI: 6197%

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: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Hong Lu, Hong Lin, Tzi Ma Key roles: Awkwafina as Billi; Zhao Shuzhen as Nai Nai; Hong Lu as Little Nai Nai; Hong Lin as Doctor Wu

DIRECTOR: Lulu Wang CINEMATOGRAPHY: Anna Franquesa Solano MUSIC: Alex Weston EDITING: Matthew Friedman, Michael Taylor PRODUCTION: Big Beach, Depth of Field, Kindred Spirit, Seesaw Productions FILMED IN: China, United States of America

Box Office Performance

The Farewell earned $17,695,781 domestically and $5,380,876 internationally, for a worldwide total of $23,076,657. The film skewed heavily domestic (77%), suggesting strong North American appeal.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), The Farewell needed approximately $625,750 to break even. The film surpassed this threshold by $22,450,907.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $23,076,657 Budget: $250,300 Net: $22,826,357 ROI: 9119.6%

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Highly Profitable

The Farewell was a clear financial success, generating $23,076,657 worldwide against a $250,300 production budget — a 9120% ROI. After estimated marketing costs, the film still delivered substantial profit to Big Beach.