The Lobster Budget
ComedyDramaRomance1h 59mUpdated
Synopsis
In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into animals and sent off into The Woods.
What is the budget of The Lobster?
"The Lobster," a comedy released in 2015, was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and stars Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz. The production budget was $4,000,000, placing it in the micro-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 Lobster?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Lobster."
- 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 Lobster's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $4,000,000, The Lobster sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Peter Pan (1953): Budget $4,000,000, Worldwide Gross $87,400,000
- Farewell My Concubine (1993): Budget $4,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,400,000
- Dersu Uzala (1975): Budget $4,000,000
- Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003): Budget $4,000,000 , Gross $6,664,789
- Trainspotting (1996): Budget $4,000,000, Worldwide Gross $71,981,823
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Lobster Box Office Performance
"The Lobster" earned $9,077,245 domestically and $15,700,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $4,000,000, 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 Lobster," that break-even threshold was roughly $8,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $15,700,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $4,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $15,700,000
- Net Return: $11,700,000
- ROI: approximately 292.5%
At 292.5%, "The Lobster" earned roughly $3.92 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 33 wins & 84 nominations total
- European Film Award for Best Costume Designer: Sarah Blenkinsop (28th European Film Awards)
- European Film Award for Best Screenwriter: Yorgos Lanthimos (28th European Film Awards)
- European Film Award for Best Screenwriter: Efthimis Filippou (28th European Film Awards)
- Jury Prize
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Lobster (2015)?
The production budget was $4,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $2,000,000 - $3,200,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $6,000,000 - $7,200,000.
How much did The Lobster (2015) earn at the box office?
The Lobster grossed $9,077,245 domestic, $6,622,755 international, totaling $15,700,000 worldwide.
Was The Lobster (2015) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $4,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$10,000,000, the film earned $15,700,000 theatrically - a 292% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Lobster?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns; international production across France, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom.
How does The Lobster's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $4,000,000, The Lobster is classified as a micro-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: Peter Pan (1953, $4,000,000); Farewell My Concubine (1993, $4,000,000); Dersu Uzala (1975, $4,000,000).
Did The Lobster (2015) 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 Lobster?
The theatrical ROI was 292.5%, calculated as ($15,700,000 − $4,000,000) ÷ $4,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The Lobster (2015) win?
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 33 wins & 84 nominations total.
Who directed The Lobster and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, written by Efthimis Filippou, Yorgos Lanthimos, shot by Thimios Bakatakis, edited by Yorgos Mavropsaridis.
Where was The Lobster filmed?
The Lobster was filmed in France, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The Lobster
Official Trailer
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