

The Intruder Budget
Updated
Synopsis
A psychological thriller about a young married couple who buys a beautiful Napa Valley house on several acres of land only to find that the man they bought it from refuses to let go of the property.
What is the budget of The Intruder?
"The Intruder," a thriller released in 2019, was directed by Deon Taylor and stars Michael Ealy, Joseph Sikora. The production budget was $8,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for thriller productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a thriller 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 Intruder?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Intruder."
- Talent: Talent & Director Compensation is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.
- Cinematography: Cinematography & Location Photography is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.
- Editorial: Editorial & Sound Post-Production is one of the primary cost drivers in thriller productions of this scale.
How Does The Intruder's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $8,000,000, The Intruder sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Mutant Chronicles (2008): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $2,131,057
- I'm Still Here (2024): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $36,361,572
- Pulp Fiction (1994): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $213,928,762
- Little Miss Sunshine (2006): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $100,523,351
- My Life as a Zucchini (2016): Budget $8,000,000, Worldwide Gross $5,873,256
The median budget for wide-release thriller films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Intruder Box Office Performance
"The Intruder" earned $35,419,122 domestically and $40,600,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $8,000,000, 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 Intruder," that break-even threshold was roughly $16,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $40,600,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $8,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $40,600,000
- Net Return: $32,600,000
- ROI: approximately 407.5%
At 407.5%, "The Intruder" earned roughly $5.08 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
N/A
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Intruder (2019)?
The production budget was $8,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $4,000,000 - $6,400,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $12,000,000 - $14,400,000.
How much did The Intruder (2019) earn at the box office?
The Intruder grossed $35,419,122 domestic, $5,180,878 international, totaling $40,600,000 worldwide.
Was The Intruder (2019) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $8,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$20,000,000, the film earned $40,600,000 theatrically - a 408% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Intruder?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Michael Ealy, Joseph Sikora, Meagan Good); talent compensation, location cinematography, and tension-driven editorial.
How does The Intruder's budget compare to similar thriller films?
At $8,000,000, The Intruder is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release thriller films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Mutant Chronicles (2008, $8,000,000); I'm Still Here (2024, $8,000,000); Pulp Fiction (1994, $8,000,000).
Did The Intruder (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 was the return on investment (ROI) for The Intruder?
The theatrical ROI was 407.5%, calculated as ($40,600,000 − $8,000,000) ÷ $8,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The Intruder (2019) win?
N/A.
Who directed The Intruder and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Deon Taylor, written by David Loughery, shot by Daniel Pearl, with music by Geoff Zanelli, edited by Melissa Kent.
Where was The Intruder filmed?
The Intruder was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The Intruder
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