
The King of Staten Island
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.
Production Budget Analysis
What was the production budget for The King of Staten Island?
Directed by Judd Apatow, with Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr leading the cast, The King of Staten Island was produced by Universal Pictures with a confirmed budget of $35,000,000, placing it in the low-budget category for comedy films.
With a $35,000,000 budget, The King of Staten Island sits in the mid-range of studio releases. Marketing costs for a wide release at this level typically add $30–60 million, putting the break-even point near $87,500,000.
Budget Comparison — Similar Productions
• 1941 (1979): Budget $35,000,000 | Gross $94,900,000 → ROI: 171% • Two for the Money (2005): Budget $35,000,000 | Gross $30,526,509 → ROI: -13% • Ghost Ship (2002): Budget $35,000,000 | Gross $71,142,361 → ROI: 103% • Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022): Budget $35,000,000 | Gross N/A • Lion of the Desert (1981): Budget $35,000,000 | Gross $1,502,136 → ROI: -96%
Key Budget Allocation Categories
▸ Talent Salaries & Producing Deals Established comedic talent can command $15–20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals. Comedy ensembles multiply this cost across several well-known performers.
▸ 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. Studios typically spend 50–100% of the production budget on marketing, with comedy trailers and social media campaigns being particularly expensive.
Key Production Personnel
CAST: Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Bel Powley, Maude Apatow Key roles: Pete Davidson as Scott Carlin; Marisa Tomei as Margie Carlin; Bill Burr as Ray Bishop; Bel Powley as Kelsey
DIRECTOR: Judd Apatow CINEMATOGRAPHY: Robert Elswit MUSIC: Michael Andrews EDITING: William Kerr, Brian Scott Olds PRODUCTION: Universal Pictures, Apatow Productions FILMED IN: United States of America
Box Office Performance
The King of Staten Island earned $2,200,000 in worldwide box office revenue.
Break-Even Analysis
Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), The King of Staten Island needed approximately $87,500,000 to break even. The film fell $85,300,000 short in theatrical revenue. Ancillary streams (home media, streaming, TV) may have bridged the gap.
Return on Investment (ROI)
Revenue: $2,200,000 Budget: $35,000,000 Net: $-32,800,000 ROI: -93.7%
Profitability Assessment
VERDICT: Unprofitable (Theatrical)
The King of Staten Island earned $2,200,000 against a $35,000,000 budget (-94% ROI), falling short of theatrical profitability. Ancillary revenue may have reduced the deficit.
INDUSTRY IMPACT
The underperformance may have increased risk aversion around low-budget comedy productions.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Summary: 3 wins & 23 nominations total









































































































































































































































































































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