The Social Network Budget

What is the budget of The Social Network?

"The Social Network," a drama released in 2010, was directed by David Fincher and stars Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield. The production budget was $40,000,000, placing it in the mid-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.
• Casting: Casting began in mid-2009, with Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, and Andrew Garfield announced to star.

What were the major cost factors in The Social Network?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Social Network."

• 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 The Social Network's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $40,000,000, The Social Network sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• 42 (2013): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $95,020,213
• A Few Good Men (1992): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $243,240,178
• Big Trouble (2002): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $8,493,890
• Boomerang (1992): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $131,052,444
• Fifty Shades of Grey (2015): Budget $40,000,000, Worldwide Gross $569,651,467

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

The Social Network Box Office Performance

"The Social Network" earned $96,962,694 domestically and $224,920,315 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $40,000,000, 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 "The Social Network," that break-even threshold was roughly $80,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $224,920,315, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

• Production Budget: $40,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $224,920,315
• Net Return: $184,920,315
• ROI: approximately 462.3%

At 462.3%, "The Social Network" earned roughly $5.62 for every $1 invested in production.

The Social Network Production History

Casting began in mid-2009, with Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, and Andrew Garfield announced to star. Jonah Hill was in contention for Timberlake's role, but director David Fincher passed on him. In October 2009, Brenda Song, Rooney Mara, Armie Hammer, Shelby Young, and Josh Pence were cast. Max Minghella and Dakota Johnson were also confirmed. In 2010, it was announced that Rashida Jones would appear as Marylin Delpy.

Principal photography began in October 2009 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Scenes were filmed around the campuses of two Massachusetts prep schools, Phillips Academy and Milton Academy. Additional scenes were filmed on the campus of Wheelock College, which was set up to be Harvard's campus, as well as locations on and around the campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (Harvard has turned down most requests for on-location filming ever since the filming of Love Story (1970), which caused significant physical damage to trees on campus.) Filming took place on the Keyser and Wyman quadrangles in the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University from November 2 to 4, which also doubled for Harvard in the film.

On June 1, 2010, it was announced that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross would score the film. The soundtrack was released September 28 in various formats under the Null Corporation label. Leading up to the release of the soundtrack, a free five-track EP was made available for download.

Awards and Recognition

Won 3 Oscars. 174 wins & 188 nominations total

• Academy Award for Best Film Editing: Kirk Baxter (83rd Academy Awards)
• Academy Award for Best Film Editing: Angus Wall (83rd Academy Awards)
• National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
• César Award for Best Foreign Film
• Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film
• Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin (83rd Academy Awards)
• BBC's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century
• Academy Award for Best Original Score: Trent Reznor (83rd Academy Awards)

Critical Reception

The Social Network received widespread critical acclaim. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 96% based on 335 reviews, with an average rating of 9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Impeccably scripted, beautifully directed, and filled with fine performances, The Social Network is a riveting, ambitious example of modern filmmaking at its finest." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 95 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".