Lincoln Budget

What is the budget of Lincoln?

"Lincoln," a history released in 2012, was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field. The production budget was $65,000,000, placing it in the high-budget range for history productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a history 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: Spielberg approached Daniel Day-Lewis about the project in 2003, but Day-Lewis turned down the part at the time, believing the idea of himself playing Lincoln "preposterous".

What were the major cost factors in Lincoln?

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

• Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in history productions of this scale.
• Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in history productions of this scale.
• Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in history productions of this scale.

How Does Lincoln's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $65,000,000, Lincoln sits in the high-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• 300 (2007): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $456,082,343
• A Knight's Tale (2001): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $117,487,473
• Collateral (2004): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $220,239,925
• Eyes Wide Shut (1999): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $162,100,000
• Marty Supreme (2025): Budget $65,000,000, Worldwide Gross $274,459,312

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

Lincoln Box Office Performance

"Lincoln" earned $275,300,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $65,000,000, 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 "Lincoln," that break-even threshold was roughly $130,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $275,300,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

• Production Budget: $65,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $275,300,000
• Net Return: $210,300,000
• ROI: approximately 323.5%

At 323.5%, "Lincoln" earned roughly $4.24 for every $1 invested in production.

Lincoln Production History

Spielberg approached Daniel Day-Lewis about the project in 2003, but Day-Lewis turned down the part at the time, believing the idea of himself playing Lincoln "preposterous". Liam Neeson was cast as Lincoln in January 2005, having worked previously with Spielberg in Schindler's List. However, in July 2010, Neeson left the project, saying that he had grown too old for the part.

While promoting Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in May 2008, Spielberg announced his intention to start filming in early 2009, for release in November, wanting to honor the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. Filming took place in Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Petersburg, Virginia. In reference to Petersburg, according to location manager Colleen Gibbons, "one thing that attracted the filmmakers to the city was the 180-degree vista of historic structures" which is "very rare".

John Williams composed and conducted the score. It was recorded by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Chorus. The soundtrack album was released by Sony Classical on November 2, 2012.

Awards and Recognition

• Academy Award for Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (85th Academy Awards)
• Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film
• Academy Award for Best Production Design: Rick Carter (85th Academy Awards)
• Academy Award for Best Production Design: Jim Erickson (85th Academy Awards)
• National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
• Satellite Award for Best Film

Critical Reception

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 288 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Daniel Day-Lewis characteristically delivers in this witty, dignified portrait that immerses the audience in its world and entertains even as it informs." On Metacritic the film has weighted average score of 87 out of 100 based on 45 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.