

The Kid Who Would Be King Budget
Updated
Synopsis
Old-school magic meets the modern world when young Alex stumbles upon the mythical sword Excalibur. He soon unites his friends and enemies, and they become knights who join forces with the legendary wizard Merlin. Together, they must save mankind from the wicked enchantress Morgana and her army of supernatural warriors.
What is the budget of The Kid Who Would Be King?
"The Kid Who Would Be King," an action released in 2019, was directed by Joe Cornish and stars Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Dean Chaumoo. The production budget was $59,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for action productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an action production like this include:
- Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects: Action films allocate a substantial portion of their budget to choreographing and executing practical stunts, pyrotechnics, and CGI-heavy sequences.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director): A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation.
- Production Design, Sets & Locations: Action films frequently require multiple international shooting locations, large-scale set construction, vehicle acquisitions and modifications, and specialized equipment , all of which drive production costs well above those of dialogue-driven genres.
What were the major cost factors in The Kid Who Would Be King?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Kid Who Would Be King."
- Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
- Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
How Does The Kid Who Would Be King's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $59,000,000, The Kid Who Would Be King sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Ice Age (2002): Budget $59,000,000, Worldwide Gross $383,257,136
- American Sniper (2014): Budget $58,800,000, Worldwide Gross $542,300,000
- 15 Minutes (2001): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $56,359,980
- Almost Famous (2000): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $47,386,287
- Analyze That (2002): Budget $60,000,000, Worldwide Gross $55,003,135
The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Kid Who Would Be King Box Office Performance
"The Kid Who Would Be King" earned $16,790,790 domestically and $32,140,970 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $59,000,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "The Kid Who Would Be King," that break-even threshold was roughly $118,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $32,140,970, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $59,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $32,140,970
- Net Return: −$26,859,030
- ROI: approximately -45.5%
At -45.5%, "The Kid Who Would Be King" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
3 wins & 3 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)?
The production budget was $59,000,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $29,500,000 - $47,200,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $88,500,000 - $106,200,000.
How much did The Kid Who Would Be King (2019) earn at the box office?
The Kid Who Would Be King grossed $16,790,790 domestic, $15,350,180 international, totaling $32,140,970 worldwide.
Was The Kid Who Would Be King (2019) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $32,140,970 against an estimated $147,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Kid Who Would Be King?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Dean Chaumoo, Tom Taylor); visual effects, practical stunts, and A-list talent compensation.
How does The Kid Who Would Be King's budget compare to similar action films?
At $59,000,000, The Kid Who Would Be King is classified as a mid-budget production. The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Ice Age (2002, $59,000,000); American Sniper (2014, $58,800,000); 15 Minutes (2001, $60,000,000).
Did The Kid Who Would Be King (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 Kid Who Would Be King?
The theatrical ROI was -45.5%, calculated as ($32,140,970 − $59,000,000) ÷ $59,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The Kid Who Would Be King (2019) win?
3 wins & 3 nominations total.
Who directed The Kid Who Would Be King and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Joe Cornish, written by Joe Cornish, shot by Bill Pope, with music by Electric Wave Bureau, Damon Albarn, edited by Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss.
Where was The Kid Who Would Be King filmed?
The Kid Who Would Be King was filmed in United Kingdom. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The Kid Who Would Be King
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