The Prodigy Budget
HorrorThriller1h 32mUpdated
Synopsis
A mother concerned about her young son's disturbing behavior thinks something supernatural may be affecting him.
What is the budget of The Prodigy?
"The Prodigy," a horror released in 2019, was directed by Nicholas McCarthy and stars Taylor Schilling, Jackson Robert Scott. The production budget was $6,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for horror productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a horror production like this include:
- Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup: Horror productions invest disproportionately in practical effects , prosthetic applications, animatronics, blood and gore effects, and creature suits. A single hero creature suit can cost $50,000 to 200,000.
- Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography: Creating dread through environment is essential. Abandoned locations must be secured and dressed, lighting rigs designed for shadow and tension, and sets built to enable specific camera movements and reveals.
- Sound Design & Score: Horror is arguably the most sound-dependent genre. Foley work, ambient textures, frequency manipulation, and jump-scare stingers require specialized sound designers working with unconventional techniques.
- Casting: By June 2018, Jackson Robert Scott, Peter Mooney, Colm Feore and Brittany Allen were cast in the film.
What were the major cost factors in The Prodigy?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Prodigy."
- Practical Effects: Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Atmospheric Production Design: Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Sound Design: Sound Design & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
How Does The Prodigy's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $6,000,000, The Prodigy sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- The Godfather (1972): Budget $6,000,000, Worldwide Gross $245,066,411
- Chinatown (1974): Budget $6,000,000, Worldwide Gross $30,000,000
- The Father (2020): Budget $6,000,000, Worldwide Gross $21,029,340
- I Swear (2025): Budget $6,000,000, Worldwide Gross $8,682,832
- Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022): Budget $6,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,909,209
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Prodigy Box Office Performance
"The Prodigy" earned $14,856,291 domestically and $21,200,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $6,000,000, 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 Prodigy," that break-even threshold was roughly $12,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $21,200,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $6,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $21,200,000
- Net Return: $15,200,000
- ROI: approximately 253.3%
At 253.3%, "The Prodigy" earned roughly $3.53 for every $1 invested in production.
The Prodigy Production History
By June 2018, Jackson Robert Scott, Peter Mooney, Colm Feore and Brittany Allen were cast in the film.
Principal photography on the film began in March 2018 and wrapped in the same month in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [Filming] Principal photography on the film began in March 2018 and wrapped in the same month in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The dark orchestral score was composed by Joseph Bishara and released on vinyl in 2019 by Waxwork Records.
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 1 nomination total
Critical Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 44% based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, "The Prodigy doesn't take the bad seed genre to any truly new places, but for horror fans in search of an evil child to fear, it might still be worth a watch." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make The Prodigy (2019)?
The production budget was $6,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $3,000,000 - $4,800,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $9,000,000 - $10,800,000.
How much did The Prodigy (2019) earn at the box office?
The Prodigy grossed $14,856,291 domestic, $6,343,709 international, totaling $21,200,000 worldwide.
Was The Prodigy (2019) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $6,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$15,000,000, the film earned $21,200,000 theatrically - a 253% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing The Prodigy?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Taylor Schilling, Jackson Robert Scott, Colm Feore); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design.
How does The Prodigy's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $6,000,000, The Prodigy is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: The Godfather (1972, $6,000,000); Chinatown (1974, $6,000,000); The Father (2020, $6,000,000).
Did The Prodigy (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 Prodigy?
The theatrical ROI was 253.3%, calculated as ($21,200,000 − $6,000,000) ÷ $6,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did The Prodigy (2019) win?
1 win & 1 nomination total.
Who directed The Prodigy and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Nicholas McCarthy, written by Jeff Buhler, shot by Bridger Nielson, with music by Joseph Bishara, edited by Tom Elkins, Brian Ufberg.
Where was The Prodigy filmed?
The Prodigy was filmed in United States of America. Principal photography on the film began in March 2018 and wrapped in the same month in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [Filming] Principal photography on the film began in March 2018 and wrapped in the same month in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
The Prodigy
Official Trailer
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