Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for Truth or Dare?

Directed by Jeff Wadlow, with Nolan Gerard Funk, Lucy Hale, Violett Beane leading the cast, Truth or Dare was produced by Blumhouse Productions with a confirmed budget of $3,500,000, placing it in the micro-budget category for thriller films.

At $3,500,000, Truth or Dare was produced on a lean budget. Lower-budget films benefit from reduced break-even thresholds, with profitability achievable at approximately $8,750,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• Call Me by Your Name (2017): Budget $3,500,000 | Gross $43,143,046 → ROI: 1133% • Kimi (2022): Budget $3,500,000 | Gross N/A • Joe Bell (2020): Budget $3,500,000 | Gross $1,700,000 → ROI: -51% • The Rental (2020): Budget $3,500,000 | Gross $4,311,042 → ROI: 23% • Honey Boy (2019): Budget $3,500,000 | Gross $3,400,977 → ROI: -3%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ Talent & Director Compensation Thrillers depend on compelling lead performances to sustain tension, making cast compensation a primary budget concern. Directors with proven thriller credentials command premium fees.

▸ Cinematography & Location Photography Thriller aesthetics demand specific visual languages — surveillance-style photography, claustrophobic framing, or expansive location work across multiple cities or countries.

▸ Editorial & Sound Post-Production Precision editing — controlling information flow, building suspense through pacing, and orchestrating reveals — requires extended post-production schedules.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Nolan Gerard Funk, Lucy Hale, Violett Beane, Tyler Posey, Hayden Szeto Key roles: Nolan Gerard Funk as Tyson Curran; Lucy Hale as Olivia Barron; Violett Beane as Markie Cameron; Tyler Posey as Lucas Moreno

DIRECTOR: Jeff Wadlow CINEMATOGRAPHY: Jacques Jouffret MUSIC: Matthew Margeson EDITING: Sean Albertson PRODUCTION: Blumhouse Productions FILMED IN: United States of America

Box Office Performance

Truth or Dare earned $95,330,493 in worldwide box office revenue.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), Truth or Dare needed approximately $8,750,000 to break even. The film surpassed this threshold by $86,580,493.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $95,330,493 Budget: $3,500,000 Net: $91,830,493 ROI: 2623.7%

Detailed Box Office Notes

Truth or Dare grossed $41.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $53.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $95.3 million, against a production budget of $3.5 million. The film made $8.3 million on its first day (including $750,000 from Thursday night previews), $6.8 million on Saturday and a total of $18.7 million over the weekend, finishing third behind Rampage ($35.7 million) and fellow horror film A Quiet Place ($32.6 million). It fell to 58% in its second weekend, grossing $7.8 million and finishing fifth. The film continued to hold well in its third weekend, dropping 58% again to $3.3 million, finishing in seventh place.

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Highly Profitable

Truth or Dare was a clear financial success, generating $95,330,493 worldwide against a $3,500,000 production budget — a 2624% ROI. After estimated marketing costs, the film still delivered substantial profit to Blumhouse Productions.

INDUSTRY IMPACT

The outsized success of Truth or Dare likely influenced studio greenlight decisions for similar thriller projects.

PRODUCTION NOTES

▸ Development

Initially, director Jeff Wadlow explained that he was hired to direct the film after spitballing an opening scene based on the film's title in his initial meetings with Blumhouse. Subsequently, he joined with his friend Chris Roach, and his wife, Jill Jacobs, and started thinking of ideas to approach the final concept.

▸ Filming & Locations

Principal photography on the film began on June 7, 2017, and wrapped on July 12, 2017, in Los Angeles.

[Filming] Principal photography on the film began on June 7, 2017, and wrapped on July 12, 2017, in Los Angeles.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Additional Recognition: The film was nominated at the 2018 Teen Choice Awards as Choice Drama Movie. Lucy Hale was also nominated as Choice Drama Movie Actress for her performance in this film.

CRITICAL RECEPTION

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, and an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, "Truth or Dare slick presentation isn't enough to make this mediocre horror outing much more frightening than an average round of the real-life game." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 35 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale. Varietys Owen Gleiberman called it a "scare-free horror film" and wrote, "The movie isn't scary, it isn't gripping, it isn't fun, and it isn't fueled by any sort of clever compulsion. It's just a strangely arduous exercise that feels increasingly frantic and arbitrary as it goes along." Edward Porter of The Times gave the film 1/5 stars, saying that it was "not so much a horror show as a soap opera with a high mortality rate."

Simran Hans of The Observer gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "This tepid teen horror from Blumhouse Productions is a disappointing backwards stumble for the indie company, given its recent track record of cheap but effective genre thrills such as Split and Happy Death Day (as well as the considerably higher profile Get Out)." Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph also gave the film 2/5 stars, describing it as "the kind of film that must have seemed like a good idea at the time, but its initially appealing premise... quickly falls to pieces under its own self-generated confusions." Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent also gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "A few moments of ingenuity aside, Truth or Dare is lacklustre filmmaking.