The King of Staten Island Budget
ComedyDrama2h 17mUpdated
Synopsis
Scott has been a case of arrested development ever since his firefighter father died when he was seven. He's now reached his mid-20s having achieved little, chasing a dream of becoming a tattoo artist that seems far out of reach. As his ambitious younger sister heads off to college, Scott is still living with his exhausted ER nurse mother and spends his days smoking weed, hanging with the guys — Oscar, Igor and Richie — and secretly hooking up with his childhood friend Kelsey. But when his mother starts dating a loudmouth firefighter named Ray, it sets off a chain of events that will force Scott to grapple with his grief and take his first tentative steps toward moving forward in life.
What is the budget of The King of Staten Island?
"The King of Staten Island," a comedy released in 2020, was directed by Judd Apatow and stars Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei. The production budget was $35,000,000, 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.
What were the major cost factors in The King of Staten Island?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The King of Staten Island."
- 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 King of Staten Island's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $35,000,000, The King of Staten Island sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- 1941 (1979): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $94,900,000
- Two for the Money (2005): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $30,526,509
- Ghost Ship (2002): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $71,142,361
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022): Budget $35,000,000
- Lion of the Desert (1981): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,502,136
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The King of Staten Island Box Office Performance
"The King of Staten Island" earned $2,200,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $35,000,000, 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 King of Staten Island," that break-even threshold was roughly $70,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $2,200,000, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $35,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $2,200,000
- Net Return: −$32,800,000
- ROI: approximately -93.7%
At -93.7%, "The King of Staten Island" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Awards and Recognition
3 wins & 23 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The King of Staten Island (2020)?
The production budget was $35,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $17,500,000 - $28,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $52,500,000 - $63,000,000.
How much did The King of Staten Island (2020) earn at the box office?
The King of Staten Island grossed $2,200,000 worldwide.
Was The King of Staten Island (2020) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $2,200,000 against an estimated $87,500,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing The King of Staten Island?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns.
How does The King of Staten Island's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $35,000,000, The King of Staten Island is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2020s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: 1941 (1979, $35,000,000); Two for the Money (2005, $35,000,000); Ghost Ship (2002, $35,000,000).
Did The King of Staten Island (2020) 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 King of Staten Island?
The theatrical ROI was -93.7%, calculated as ($2,200,000 − $35,000,000) ÷ $35,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The King of Staten Island (2020) win?
3 wins & 23 nominations total.
Who directed The King of Staten Island and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Judd Apatow, written by Judd Apatow, Pete Davidson, Dave Sirus, shot by Robert Elswit, with music by Michael Andrews, edited by William Kerr, Brian Scott Olds.
Where was The King of Staten Island filmed?
The King of Staten Island was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The King of Staten Island
Official Trailer
Budget Templates
Build your own production budget
Create professional budgets with industry-standard feature film templates. Real-time collaboration, no spreadsheets.
Start Budgeting Free
