Dredd Budget

2012

ActionScience Fiction1h 36m

Updated April 25, 2026

Budget

$50,000,000

Domestic Box Office

$13,414,714

Worldwide Box Office

$41,037,742

Synopsis

The future America is an irradiated waste land. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC, lies Mega City One- a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called "Judges" who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd is the ultimate Judge, challenged with ridding the city of its latest scourge - a dangerous drug epidemic that has users of "Slo-Mo" experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed.

During a routine day on the job, Dredd is assigned to train and evaluate Cassandra Anderson, a rookie with powerful psychic abilities thanks to a genetic mutation. A heinous crime calls them to a neighborhood where fellow Judges rarely dare to venture- a 200 story vertical slum controlled by prostitute turned drug lord Ma-Ma and her ruthless clan. When they capture one of the clan's inner circle, Ma-Ma overtakes the compound's control center and wages a dirty, vicious war against the Judges that proves she will stop at nothing to protect her empire. With the body count climbing and no way out, Dredd and Anderson must confront the odds and engage in the relentless battle for their survival.

What is the budget of Dredd?

"Dredd," an action released in 2012, was directed by Pete Travis and stars Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby. The production budget was $50,000,000, 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.

What were the major cost factors in Dredd?

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

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 Dredd's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $50,000,000, Dredd sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

Angela's Ashes (1999): Budget $50,000,000, Worldwide Gross $13,042,112
Blades of Glory (2007): Budget $53,000,000, Worldwide Gross $118,200,000
16 Blocks (2006): Budget $55,000,000, Worldwide Gross $65,664,721
65 (2023): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $60,730,568
Across the Universe (2007): Budget $45,000,000, Worldwide Gross $29,625,761

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

Dredd Box Office Performance

"Dredd" earned $13,414,714 domestically and $41,037,742 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $50,000,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Dredd," that break-even threshold was roughly $100,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $41,037,742, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

Production Budget: $50,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $41,037,742
Net Return: −$8,962,258
ROI: approximately -17.9%

At -17.9%, "Dredd" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.