The House with a Clock in Its Walls Budget
ComedyFantasyFamilyHorrorMystery1h 45mUpdated
Synopsis
When ten-year-old Lewis is suddenly orphaned, he is sent to live with his Uncle Jonathan in a creaky (and creepy) old mansion with a mysterious ticking noise that emanates from the walls. Upon discovering that his uncle is a warlock, Lewis begins learning magic, but when he rebelliously resurrects an evil warlock he must find the secret of the house and save the world from destruction.
What is the budget of The House with a Clock in Its Walls?
"The House with a Clock in Its Walls," a comedy released in 2018, was directed by Eli Roth and stars Jack Black, Cate Blanchett. The production budget was $42,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for comedy productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a comedy production like this include:
- Talent Salaries & Producing Deals: Established comedic talent can command $15 to 20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals.
- 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.
- Production: Principal photography on the film began on October 10, 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia.
What were the major cost factors in The House with a Clock in Its Walls?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The House with a Clock in Its Walls."
- Talent Salaries: Talent Salaries & Producing Deals is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Production: Production & Location Filming is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Marketing: Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
How Does The House with a Clock in Its Walls's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $42,000,000, The House with a Clock in Its Walls sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Along Came Polly (2004): Budget $42,000,000, Worldwide Gross $178,300,000
- Bloodshot (2020): Budget $42,000,000, Worldwide Gross $39,861,118
- Brüno (2009): Budget $42,000,000, Worldwide Gross $138,805,831
- Here Comes the Boom (2012): Budget $42,000,000, Worldwide Gross $73,100,000
- High Crimes (2002): Budget $42,000,000, Worldwide Gross $63,781,810
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls Box Office Performance
"The House with a Clock in Its Walls" earned $131,523,093 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $42,000,000, 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 House with a Clock in Its Walls," that break-even threshold was roughly $84,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $131,523,093, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $42,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $131,523,093
- Net Return: $89,523,093
- ROI: approximately 213.2%
At 213.2%, "The House with a Clock in Its Walls" earned roughly $3.13 for every $1 invested in production.
Critical Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on 219 reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads: "An entertaining PG detour for gore maestro Eli Roth, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a family-friendly blend of humor and horror with an infectious sense of fun". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)?
The production budget was $42,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $21,000,000 - $33,600,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $63,000,000 - $75,600,000.
How much did The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) earn at the box office?
The House with a Clock in Its Walls grossed $131,523,093 worldwide.
Was The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $42,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$105,000,000, the film earned $131,523,093 theatrically - a 213% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing The House with a Clock in Its Walls?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns; international production across India, United States of America.
How does The House with a Clock in Its Walls's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $42,000,000, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is classified as a mid-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Along Came Polly (2004, $42,000,000); Bloodshot (2020, $42,000,000); Brüno (2009, $42,000,000).
Did The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) 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 House with a Clock in Its Walls?
The theatrical ROI was 213.2%, calculated as ($131,523,093 − $42,000,000) ÷ $42,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
Who directed The House with a Clock in Its Walls and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Eli Roth, written by Eric Kripke, shot by Rogier Stoffers, with music by Nathan Barr, edited by Andrew S. Eisen, Fred Raskin.
Where was The House with a Clock in Its Walls filmed?
The House with a Clock in Its Walls was filmed in India, United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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The House with a Clock in Its Walls
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