Vengeance Budget
ComedyMysteryThriller1h 48mUpdated
Synopsis
A New York City journalist and podcaster travels to West Texas to investigate the death of a young woman he barely knew, after her grieving family insists she was murdered. What begins as a podcast pitch about red-state America becomes a personal reckoning with grief, identity, and the stories Americans tell about themselves.
What is known about the production of Vengeance?
"Vengeance," a comedy released in 2022, was directed by B. J. Novak and stars B. J. Novak, Boyd Holbrook. The production budget has not been publicly disclosed, though Blumhouse Productions, Focus Features, Divide / Conquer produced the film, making it a notable entry in the comedy landscape whose financial details remain private.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a comedy production like this include:
- Production: Between 2015 and 2018, B.
Vengeance Box Office Performance
"Vengeance" earned $4,330,720 domestically and $4,225,720 worldwide at the box office.
Awards and Recognition
1 win total
Critical Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 81% of 159 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Writer-director-star B.J. Novak could have taken a sharper approach to this dark comedy's deeper themes, but if you're in the mood for a slyly smart mystery, Vengeance is yours." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
How Does Vengeance's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
- Blood Simple (1984): Budget $1,500,000 | Worldwide $3,851,855. A genre-bending Texas thriller at a smaller scale that established a template for regional noir comedies.
- Hell or High Water (2016): Budget $12,000,000 | Worldwide $37,041,503. A West Texas crime drama from CBS Films at roughly four times the budget with stronger global returns.
- Sorry to Bother You (2018): Budget $3,200,000 | Worldwide $18,300,000. A first-time directorial debut social satire at a comparable indie budget with significantly stronger box office.
- The Art of Self-Defense (2019): Budget $5,000,000 | Worldwide $4,700,000. A Bleecker Street dark comedy with similar arthouse positioning and almost identical worldwide gross.
Vengeance Production History
Vengeance marks B.J. Novak's feature directorial debut after years as a writer, producer, and performer on The Office and as a director of the FX anthology series The Premise. Novak wrote the screenplay over several years, drawing on his interest in podcast culture and the cultural distance between coastal media and rural America.
Blumhouse Productions, Divide/Conquer, and Novak's own production company financed the picture as a low-budget independent feature. Focus Features picked up worldwide distribution rights after the project was packaged.
Principal photography took place across West Texas in 2021, with extensive location work in towns including Marfa, Alpine, and Big Spring. Cinematographer Lyn Moncrief shot on location in widescreen to emphasize the scale of the Texas landscape against the intimate scope of Novak's podcaster character.
The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2022 before opening theatrically through Focus Features on July 29, 2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the production budget of Vengeance (2022)?
The production budget for Vengeance was not publicly disclosed, though Blumhouse Productions typically finances feature debuts in the $5 to $10 million range.
How much did Vengeance gross worldwide?
Vengeance grossed approximately $4.3 million worldwide, almost entirely from its domestic theatrical run through Focus Features.
Who directed Vengeance?
B.J. Novak directed Vengeance, marking his feature directorial debut after writing and producing The Office and creating the FX anthology series The Premise.
Where was Vengeance filmed?
Vengeance was filmed on location across West Texas in 2021, including in Marfa, Alpine, and Big Spring.
Who stars in Vengeance?
The film stars B.J. Novak, Boyd Holbrook, Issa Rae, Ashton Kutcher, Dove Cameron, and J. Smith-Cameron.
When did Vengeance premiere?
Vengeance premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2022 before opening theatrically through Focus Features on July 29, 2022.
How long is Vengeance?
Vengeance runs 107 minutes.
Who composed the score for Vengeance?
Finneas O'Connell and Robert Allaire composed the score for Vengeance, with Finneas making his feature scoring debut.
What is Vengeance about?
Vengeance follows a New York podcaster, played by B.J. Novak, who travels to West Texas to investigate the death of a young woman, blending dark comedy with a meditation on American cultural divides.
Did Vengeance receive a wide theatrical release?
Yes. Focus Features opened Vengeance in 998 North American theaters on July 29, 2022. The film underperformed at the box office but received strong reviews.
Filmmakers
Vengeance
Official Trailer
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