The Turin Horse Budget

What is the budget of The Turin Horse?

"The Turin Horse," a drama released in 2011, was directed by Béla Tarr and stars János Derzsi, Erika Bók. The production budget was $1,000,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for drama productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

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

• Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
• Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
• Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
• Filming & Locations: Filming was located to a valley in Hungary.

What were the major cost factors in The Turin Horse?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Turin Horse."

• Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.

How Does The Turin Horse's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $1,000,000, The Turin Horse sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Gone in 60 Seconds (1974): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $40,000,000
• A Woman Under the Influence (1974): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $12,200,000
• Rear Window (1954): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $37,042,336
• How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $73,800,000
• Raise the Red Lantern (1991): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $16,600,000

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

The Turin Horse Box Office Performance

"The Turin Horse" earned $56,391 domestically and $162,088 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $1,000,000, 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 Turin Horse," that break-even threshold was roughly $2,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $162,088, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $1,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $162,088
• Net Return: −$837,912
• ROI: approximately -83.8%

At -83.8%, "The Turin Horse" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

The Turin Horse Production History

Filming was located to a valley in Hungary. The house, well and stable were all built specifically for the film, and were not artificial sets but proper structures of stone and wood. However because of adverse weather conditions, principal photography was not finished until 2010.

Awards and Recognition

7 wins & 15 nominations total

• Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize

Critical Reception

The Turin Horse received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, the film received an average score of 80/100, based on 15 reviews. The film holds an 89% rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 63 reviews, with an average rating of 8.10/10. The critical consensus states, "Uncompromisingly bold and hauntingly beautiful, Bela Tarr's bleak parable tells a simple story with weighty conviction."