The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Budget

What is the budget of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg?

"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg," a drama released in 1964, was directed by Jacques Demy and stars Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo. The production budget was $200,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for drama productions of the 1960s.

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.
• Production: The English dub was done by Oscar Films.

What were the major cost factors in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg."

• 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 Umbrellas of Cherbourg's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $200,000, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Strawberry Mansion (2021): Budget $200,000
• Children of Heaven (1997): Budget $180,000, Worldwide Gross $925,402
• Chungking Express (1994): Budget $160,000
• The Wolf House (2018): Budget $245,000
• High and Low (1963): Budget $250,000

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

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Box Office Performance

"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" earned $86,074 domestically and $7,600,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $200,000, 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 Umbrellas of Cherbourg," that break-even threshold was roughly $400,000. With worldwide earnings of $7,600,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

• Production Budget: $200,000
• Worldwide Gross: $7,600,000
• Net Return: $7,400,000
• ROI: approximately 3700%

At 3700%, "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" earned roughly $38 for every $1 invested in production.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Production History

The continuous music score and the brightly coloured photography had much to do with the popularity of this film. Formally the work is operatic, with the plot advanced entirely through dialogue sung with accompanying music. The colour photography is bright and vivid.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 5 Oscars. 6 wins & 7 nominations total

• Louis Delluc Prize
• Palme d'Or

Critical Reception

The film was very successful in France, and was also shown internationally, introducing Deneuve to a larger audience. It was nominated for several Academy Awards, including for Best Foreign Film, Best Song, Best Soundtrack, and Best Original Screenplay.