Brokeback Mountain Budget

What is the budget of Brokeback Mountain?

"Brokeback Mountain," a drama released in 2005, was directed by Ang Lee and stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal. The production budget was $14,000,000, placing it in the low-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.
• Development: Screenwriter Diana Ossana discovered Annie Proulx's short story, Brokeback Mountain, in October 1997, just days after its publication.

What were the major cost factors in Brokeback Mountain?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Brokeback Mountain."

• 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 Brokeback Mountain's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $14,000,000, Brokeback Mountain sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Beyond Skyline (2017): Budget $14,000,000, Worldwide Gross $992,181
• Red Lights (2012): Budget $14,000,000, Worldwide Gross $13,551,174
• Scream (1996): Budget $14,000,000, Worldwide Gross $173,046,663
• Perfect Days (2023): Budget $14,000,000, Worldwide Gross $24,094,016
• Jojo Rabbit (2019): Budget $14,000,000, Worldwide Gross $82,468,705

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2000s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Brokeback Mountain Box Office Performance

"Brokeback Mountain" earned $84,111,816 domestically and $178,043,761 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $14,000,000, 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 "Brokeback Mountain," that break-even threshold was roughly $28,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $178,043,761, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

• Production Budget: $14,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $178,043,761
• Net Return: $164,043,761
• ROI: approximately 1171.7%

At 1171.7%, "Brokeback Mountain" earned roughly $12.72 for every $1 invested in production.

Brokeback Mountain Production History

Screenwriter Diana Ossana discovered Annie Proulx's short story, Brokeback Mountain, in October 1997, just days after its publication. She convinced writing partner Larry McMurtry to read it; he thought it was a "masterpiece". The pair asked Proulx if they could adapt it into a film screenplay; although she did not think that the story would work as a film, she agreed.

Casting director Avy Kaufman said Lee was very decisive about the actors for the lead roles. In 2003, screenwriters Ossana and McMurty suggested Heath Ledger (after being impressed by his performance in Monster's Ball), but the film studio thought he was not masculine enough. Regardless, Kaufman sent the script to Ledger, who thought it was "beautiful" and put himself forward.

Principal photography began on May 25, 2004. While the Proulx story is set in Wyoming, Brokeback Mountain was filmed almost entirely in the Canadian Rockies in southern Alberta. Lee was given a tour of the locations from the story in Wyoming by Proulx, but chose to shoot in Alberta citing financial reasons.

Awards and Recognition

Won 3 Oscars. 141 wins & 133 nominations total

• BAFTA Award for Best Film: Ang Lee
• Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay: Diana Ossana (78th Academy Awards)
• Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay: Larry McMurtry (78th Academy Awards)
• Academy Award for Best Director: Ang Lee (78th Academy Awards)
• National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
• Academy Award for Best Original Score: Q312434 (78th Academy Awards)
• Golden Lion
• Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film

Critical Reception

Brokeback Mountain was released to critical acclaim. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 253 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "A beautifully epic Western, Brokeback Mountains love story is imbued with heartbreaking universality, helped by moving performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal." On Metacritic, the film has a rating of 87/100 based on 41 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".