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The Highwaymen movie poster

The Highwaymen Budget

2019RCrimeDramaThriller2h 13m

Updated

Budget
$49,000,000

Synopsis

In 1934, Frank Hamer and Manny Gault, two former Texas Rangers, are commissioned to put an end to the wave of vicious crimes perpetrated by Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, a notorious duo of infamous robbers and cold-blooded killers who nevertheless are worshiped by the public.

What is the budget of The Highwaymen?

"The Highwaymen," a crime released in 2019, was directed by John Lee Hancock and stars Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson. The production budget was $49,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for crime productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a crime production like this include:

  • Talent & Director Compensation: Thrillers depend on compelling lead performances to sustain tension, making cast compensation a primary budget concern. Directors with proven thriller credentials command premium fees.
  • Cinematography & Location Photography: Thriller aesthetics demand specific visual languages , surveillance-style photography, claustrophobic framing, or expansive location work across multiple cities or countries.
  • Editorial & Sound Post-Production: Precision editing , controlling information flow, building suspense through pacing, and orchestrating reveals , requires extended post-production schedules.

What were the major cost factors in The Highwaymen?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Highwaymen."

  • Talent: Talent & Director Compensation is one of the primary cost drivers in crime productions of this scale.
  • Cinematography: Cinematography & Location Photography is one of the primary cost drivers in crime productions of this scale.
  • Editorial: Editorial & Sound Post-Production is one of the primary cost drivers in crime productions of this scale.

How Does The Highwaymen's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $49,000,000, The Highwaymen sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

  • Basic Instinct (1992): Budget $49,000,000, Worldwide Gross $352,927,224
  • Deep Water (2022): Budget $49,000,000
  • Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019): Budget $49,000,000, Worldwide Gross $120,600,000
  • The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013): Budget $49,300,000, Worldwide Gross $24,366,656
  • Ricky Stanicky (2024): Budget $49,700,000

The median budget for wide-release crime films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Awards and Recognition

3 nominations total

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did it cost to make The Highwaymen (2019)?

The production budget was $49,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $24,500,000 - $39,200,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $73,500,000 - $88,200,000.

How much did The Highwaymen (2019) earn at the box office?

Box office figures are not publicly available.

Was The Highwaymen (2019) profitable?

Insufficient data for a profitability assessment.

What were the biggest costs in producing The Highwaymen?

The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson, Kathy Bates); talent compensation, location cinematography, and tension-driven editorial.

How does The Highwaymen's budget compare to similar crime films?

At $49,000,000, The Highwaymen is classified as a mid-budget production. The median budget for wide-release crime films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Basic Instinct (1992, $49,000,000); Deep Water (2022, $49,000,000); Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019, $49,000,000).

Did The Highwaymen (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 awards did The Highwaymen (2019) win?

3 nominations total.

Who directed The Highwaymen and who were the key crew members?

Directed by John Lee Hancock, written by John Fusco, shot by John Schwartzman, with music by Thomas Newman, edited by Robert Frazen.

Where was The Highwaymen filmed?

The Highwaymen was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Filmmakers

The Highwaymen

Producers
Casey Silver
Director
John Lee Hancock
Writers
John Fusco
Casting
Denise Chamian
Key Cast
Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson, Kathy Bates, John Carroll Lynch, Thomas Mann, Dean Denton
Cinematographer
John Schwartzman
Composer
Thomas Newman

Official Trailer

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Canada Productions Telefilm template
New York Tax Credit template
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Photography template

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