Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for What Women Want?

Directed by Nancy Meyers, with Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei leading the cast, What Women Want was produced by Paramount Pictures with a confirmed budget of $70,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget category for comedy films.

With a $70,000,000 budget, What Women Want sits in the mid-range of studio releases. Marketing costs for a wide release at this level typically add $30–60 million, putting the break-even point near $175,000,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• A Civil Action (1998): Budget $70,000,000 | Gross $56,709,981 → ROI: -19% • Babylon A.D. (2008): Budget $70,000,000 | Gross $72,109,200 → ROI: 3% • Beowulf (2007): Budget $70,000,000 | Gross $195,735,876 → ROI: 180% • Couples Retreat (2009): Budget $70,000,000 | Gross $171,844,840 → ROI: 145% • Dudley Do-Right (1999): Budget $70,000,000 | Gross $10,000,000 → ROI: -86%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ Talent Salaries & Producing Deals Established comedic talent can command $15–20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals. Comedy ensembles multiply this cost across several well-known performers.

▸ Production & Location Filming While comedies generally avoid the VFX costs of action films, location shooting in recognizable cities or exotic locales adds meaningful production expense.

▸ Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) Comedies rely heavily on marketing to build opening-weekend momentum. Studios typically spend 50–100% of the production budget on marketing, with comedy trailers and social media campaigns being particularly expensive.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei, Alan Alda, Ashley Johnson Key roles: Mel Gibson as Nick Marshall; Helen Hunt as Darcy McGuire; Marisa Tomei as Lola; Alan Alda as Dan Wanamaker

DIRECTOR: Nancy Meyers CINEMATOGRAPHY: Dean Cundey MUSIC: Alan Silvestri EDITING: Thomas J. Nordberg, Stephen A. Rotter PRODUCTION: Paramount Pictures, Icon Productions, Wind Dancer Films FILMED IN: United States of America

Box Office Performance

What Women Want earned $182,811,707 domestically and $191,288,293 internationally, for a worldwide total of $374,100,000. Revenue was split 49% domestic / 51% international.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), What Women Want needed approximately $175,000,000 to break even. The film surpassed this threshold by $199,100,000.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $374,100,000 Budget: $70,000,000 Net: $304,100,000 ROI: 434.4%

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Highly Profitable

What Women Want was a clear financial success, generating $374,100,000 worldwide against a $70,000,000 production budget — a 434% ROI. After estimated marketing costs, the film still delivered substantial profit to Paramount Pictures.