Sicario Budget

What is the budget of Sicario?

"Sicario," an action released in 2015, was directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro. The production budget was $30,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for action productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an action production like this include:

• Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects: Action films allocate a substantial portion of their budget to choreographing and executing practical stunts, pyrotechnics, and CGI-heavy sequences.
• Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director): A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation.
• Production Design, Sets & Locations: Action films frequently require multiple international shooting locations, large-scale set construction, vehicle acquisitions and modifications, and specialized equipment , all of which drive production costs well above those of dialogue-driven genres.
• Development: In December 2013, it was announced that Denis Villeneuve would direct a Mexican border drama, Sicario, from a screenplay by Taylor Sheridan.

What were the major cost factors in Sicario?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Sicario."

• Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
• Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
• Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.

How Does Sicario's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $30,000,000, Sicario sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• A Hologram for the King (2016): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $9,169,507
• A Lot Like Love (2005): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,886,719
• Big Momma's House (2000): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $173,959,438
• Crazy Rich Asians (2018): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $238,539,198
• Doomsday (2008): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $22,472,631

The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Sicario Box Office Performance

"Sicario" earned $84,997,446 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $30,000,000, 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 "Sicario," that break-even threshold was roughly $60,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $84,997,446, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

• Production Budget: $30,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $84,997,446
• Net Return: $54,997,446
• ROI: approximately 183.3%

At 183.3%, "Sicario" earned roughly $2.83 for every $1 invested in production.

Sicario Production History

In December 2013, it was announced that Denis Villeneuve would direct a Mexican border drama, Sicario, from a screenplay by Taylor Sheridan. It is the first installment in Sheridan's neo-western trilogy exploring crime on "the modern-day American frontier". Black Label Media financed and co-produced with Thunder Road Pictures.

Principal photography began on June 30, 2014, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with additional scenes filmed in Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, just east of Mexico City. [Filming] Principal photography began on June 30, 2014, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with additional scenes filmed in Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, just east of Mexico City.

Jóhann Jóhannsson was selected to write and compose the score for the film, making Sicario his second collaboration with director Denis Villeneuve after having worked together on Prisoners which was released in 2013.

Awards and Recognition

• National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Critical Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 91% based on 279 reviews, with an average rating of 8.10/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Led by outstanding work from Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, Sicario is a taut, tightly wound thriller with much more on its mind than attention-getting set pieces." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 48 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.