

The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun Budget
Updated
Synopsis
The staff of an American magazine based in France puts out its last issue, with stories featuring an artist sentenced to life imprisonment, student riots, and a kidnapping resolved by a chef.
What is the budget of The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun?
"The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun," a drama released in 2021, was directed by Wes Anderson and stars Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody. The production budget was $25,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for drama productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama 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 French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun."
- Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
- Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
- Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
How Does The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $25,000,000, The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 1408 (2007): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $133,000,000
- A Journal for Jordan (2021): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,700,000
- Abandon (2002): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $10,719,357
- All My Life (2020): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $2,000,000
- August Rush (2007): Budget $25,000,000, Worldwide Gross $66,122,026
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun Box Office Performance
"The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun" earned $16,124,375 domestically and $46,333,545 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $25,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun," that break-even threshold was roughly $50,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $46,333,545, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $25,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $46,333,545
- Net Return: $21,333,545
- ROI: approximately 85.3%
At 85.3%, "The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 3 BAFTA 25 wins & 123 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun (2021)?
The production budget was $25,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $12,500,000 - $20,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $37,500,000 - $45,000,000.
How much did The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun (2021) earn at the box office?
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun grossed $16,124,375 domestic, $30,209,170 international, totaling $46,333,545 worldwide.
Was The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun (2021) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $46,333,545 against an estimated $62,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production; international production across United States of America, Germany.
How does The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $25,000,000, The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2020s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 1408 (2007, $25,000,000); A Journal for Jordan (2021, $25,000,000); Abandon (2002, $25,000,000).
Did The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun (2021) 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 French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun?
The theatrical ROI was 85.3%, calculated as ($46,333,545 − $25,000,000) ÷ $25,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun (2021) win?
Nominated for 3 BAFTA 25 wins & 123 nominations total.
Who directed The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Wes Anderson, written by Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness, Jason Schwartzman, Roman Coppola, shot by Robert D. Yeoman, with music by Alexandre Desplat, edited by Andrew Weisblum.
Where was The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun filmed?
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun was filmed in United States of America, Germany. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
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