Dazed and Confused Budget
ComedyDrama1h 42mUpdated
Synopsis
It's the last day of school at a high school in a small town in Texas in 1976. The upperclassmen are hazing the incoming freshmen, and everyone is trying to get stoned, drunk, or laid, even the football players that signed a pledge not to.
What is the budget of Dazed and Confused?
"Dazed and Confused," a comedy released in 1993, was directed by Richard Linklater and stars Jason London, Matthew McConaughey. The production budget was $6,900,000, placing it in the low-budget range for comedy productions of the 1990s.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a comedy production like this include:
- Talent Salaries & Producing Deals: Established comedic talent can command $15 to 20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals.
- 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.
What were the major cost factors in Dazed and Confused?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Dazed and Confused."
- Talent Salaries: Talent Salaries & Producing Deals is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Production: Production & Location Filming is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
- Marketing: Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) is one of the primary cost drivers in comedy productions of this scale.
How Does Dazed and Confused's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $6,900,000, Dazed and Confused sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Kiki's Delivery Service (1989): Budget $6,900,000, Worldwide Gross $4,493,017
- Capote (2005): Budget $7,000,000, Worldwide Gross $49,327,405
- Norm of the North (2016): Budget $7,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,062,499
- Incendies (2010): Budget $6,800,000, Worldwide Gross $6,788,659
- American Psycho (2000): Budget $7,000,000, Worldwide Gross $34,269,748
The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Dazed and Confused Box Office Performance
"Dazed and Confused" earned $8,249,404 domestically and $8,259,076 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $6,900,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Dazed and Confused," that break-even threshold was roughly $13,800,000. With worldwide earnings of $8,259,076, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $6,900,000
- Worldwide Gross: $8,259,076
- Net Return: $1,359,076
- ROI: approximately 19.7%
At 19.7%, "Dazed and Confused" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.
Awards and Recognition
1 win & 4 nominations total
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Dazed and Confused (1993)?
The production budget was $6,900,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $3,450,000 - $5,520,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $10,350,000 - $12,420,000.
How much did Dazed and Confused (1993) earn at the box office?
Dazed and Confused grossed $8,249,404 domestic, $9,672 international, totaling $8,259,076 worldwide.
Was Dazed and Confused (1993) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $8,259,076 against an estimated $17,250,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Dazed and Confused?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Jason London, Matthew McConaughey, Joey Lauren Adams); star comedian salaries, location filming, and aggressive marketing campaigns.
How does Dazed and Confused's budget compare to similar comedy films?
At $6,900,000, Dazed and Confused is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release comedy films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Kiki's Delivery Service (1989, $6,900,000); Capote (2005, $7,000,000); Norm of the North (2016, $7,000,000).
Did Dazed and Confused (1993) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What was the return on investment (ROI) for Dazed and Confused?
The theatrical ROI was 19.7%, calculated as ($8,259,076 − $6,900,000) ÷ $6,900,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Dazed and Confused (1993) win?
1 win & 4 nominations total.
Who directed Dazed and Confused and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Richard Linklater, written by Richard Linklater, shot by Lee Daniel, edited by Sandra Adair.
Where was Dazed and Confused filmed?
Dazed and Confused was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Dazed and Confused
Official Trailer
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