The Tale of The Princess Kaguya Budget

What is the budget of The Tale of The Princess Kaguya?

"The Tale of The Princess Kaguya," a animation released in 2013, was directed by Isao Takahata and stars Aki Asakura, Takeo Chii. The production budget was $49,300,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for animation productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a animation production like this include:

• 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.
• Voice Talent: Celebrity voice casting has become standard for studio animation, with A-list actors earning $5 to 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.
• Production: As a child, Takahata read The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

What were the major cost factors in The Tale of The Princess Kaguya?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Tale of The Princess Kaguya."

• Animation Production Pipeline: Animation Production Pipeline is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
• Voice Talent: Voice Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.
• Music: Music, Songs & Sound Design is one of the primary cost drivers in animation productions of this scale.

How Does The Tale of The Princess Kaguya's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $49,300,000, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Basic Instinct (1992): Budget $49,000,000, Worldwide Gross $352,927,224
• Deep Water (2022): Budget $49,000,000
• The Highwaymen (2019): Budget $49,000,000
• Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019): Budget $49,000,000, Worldwide Gross $120,600,000
• Ricky Stanicky (2024): Budget $49,700,000

The median budget for wide-release animation films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya Box Office Performance

"The Tale of The Princess Kaguya" earned $974,913 domestically and $24,366,656 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $49,300,000, 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 Tale of The Princess Kaguya," that break-even threshold was roughly $98,600,000. With worldwide earnings of $24,366,656, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $49,300,000
• Worldwide Gross: $24,366,656
• Net Return: −$24,933,344
• ROI: approximately -50.6%

At -50.6%, "The Tale of The Princess Kaguya" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya Production History

In 2012, Shin-ichiro Ikebe was announced to write the film's score. However, in 2013, Joe Hisaishi replaced Ikebe as the composer. This would be the only time Hisaishi scored a film directed by Isao Takahata. The theme song "When I Remember This Life" was written and performed by Nikaido Kazumi. The music from the film's original soundtrack was released on 20 November 2013.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 13 wins & 38 nominations total

• Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Animated Feature Film
• Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film
• Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation Film

Critical Reception

The film received critical acclaim. It was the first film of the 2010s to receive an approval rating of 100% on the website, making it one of the highest-rated films of the decade.