Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for The Summit of the Gods?

Directed by Patrick Imbert, with Éric Herson-Macarel, Damien Boisseau, Elisabeth Ventura leading the cast, The Summit of the Gods was produced by Julianne Films with a confirmed budget of $9,850,000, placing it in the micro-budget category for animation films.

At $9,850,000, The Summit of the Gods was produced on a modest budget. Lower-budget films benefit from reduced break-even thresholds, with profitability achievable at approximately $24,625,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• Don't Breathe (2016): Budget $9,900,000 | Gross $158,906,350 → ROI: 1505% • By the Sea (2015): Budget $10,000,000 | Gross $3,727,746 → ROI: -63% • Eye for an Eye (2025): Budget $10,000,000 | Gross N/A • Goal! (2005): Budget $10,000,000 | Gross $27,610,873 → ROI: 176% • Phantom (2013): Budget $10,000,000 | Gross $1,197,759 → ROI: -88%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ Animation Production Pipeline The bulk of an animated film's budget funds the multi-year production pipeline: storyboarding, character modeling, rigging, animation, lighting, rendering, and compositing. Major studio animated features employ 300–600 artists over 3–5 years.

▸ Voice Talent Celebrity voice casting has become standard for studio animation, with A-list actors earning $5–15 million for voice roles.

▸ Music, Songs & Sound Design Original songs and orchestral scores are central to animated storytelling. Sound design for animated worlds must be created entirely from scratch.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Éric Herson-Macarel, Damien Boisseau, Elisabeth Ventura, Lazare Herson-Macarel, Kylian Rehlinger Key roles: Éric Herson-Macarel as Old Habu (voice); Damien Boisseau as Fukamichi (voice); Elisabeth Ventura as Ryoko (voice); Lazare Herson-Macarel as Young Habu (voice)

DIRECTOR: Patrick Imbert MUSIC: Amine Bouhafa EDITING: Camille-Elvis Théry PRODUCTION: Julianne Films, Folivari, Melusine Productions, France 3 Cinéma, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, Wild Bunch, Palatine Étoile 17, Cinémage 14 Développment, Indéfilms 8 FILMED IN: France, Luxembourg

Box Office Performance

The Summit of the Gods earned $1,756,552 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 Summit of the Gods needed approximately $24,625,000 to break even. The film fell $22,868,448 short in theatrical revenue. Ancillary streams (home media, streaming, TV) may have bridged the gap.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $1,756,552 Budget: $9,850,000 Net: $-8,093,448 ROI: -82.2%

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Unprofitable (Theatrical)

The Summit of the Gods earned $1,756,552 against a $9,850,000 budget (-82% ROI), falling short of theatrical profitability. Ancillary revenue may have reduced the deficit.

INDUSTRY IMPACT

The underperformance may have increased risk aversion around micro-budget animation productions.

PRODUCTION NOTES

▸ Production

The film is based on a manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Jiro Taniguchi, which was based on a 1998 novel by Baku Yumemakura. In January 2015, a French-language CG animation film adaptation of the manga was announced. It was originally set to be produced by Julianne Films, Walking The Dog, and Mélusine Productions, with direction from Éric Valli and Jean-Christophe Roger. The film was first shown at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival on July 15, 2021, before a full theatrical release in France starting on September 22, 2021.

Internationally, Netflix released the film in theaters in the United States starting on November 24, 2021, and in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2021. The film was made available for streaming on November 30, 2021.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Summary: 2 wins & 6 nominations total

Awards Won: ★ Lumière Award for Best Animated Film (27th Lumière Awards) ★ Q123916243 (Q123916816) ★ César Award for Best Animated Film (47th César Awards)

CRITICAL RECEPTION

Carlos Aguilar from TheWrap praised the film for its plot and animation. Michael Nordine from Variety also praised the plot and animation, specifically for being realistic. Benjamin Benoit from IGN also gave the film praise for being a great adaptation of the original source material. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10.