What is the budget of Sicario Day of the Soldado?

"Sicario Day of the Soldado," an action released in 2018, was directed by Stefano Sollima and stars Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin. The production budget was $35,000,000, 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.
Filming & Locations: Principal photography on the film began in New Mexico on November 8, 2016, and then it was shot in Mexico City and Tijuana, Baja California.

What were the major cost factors in Sicario Day of the Soldado?

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

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 Day of the Soldado's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $35,000,000, Sicario Day of the Soldado sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

1941 (1979): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $94,900,000
Two for the Money (2005): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $30,526,509
Ghost Ship (2002): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $71,142,361
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022): Budget $35,000,000
Lion of the Desert (1981): Budget $35,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,502,136

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

Sicario Day of the Soldado Box Office Performance

"Sicario Day of the Soldado" earned $75,836,683 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $35,000,000, 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 "Sicario Day of the Soldado," that break-even threshold was roughly $70,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $75,836,683, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

Production Budget: $35,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $75,836,683
Net Return: $40,836,683
ROI: approximately 116.7%

At 116.7%, "Sicario Day of the Soldado" earned roughly $2.17 for every $1 invested in production.

Sicario Day of the Soldado Production History

Principal photography on the film began in New Mexico on November 8, 2016, and then it was shot in Mexico City and Tijuana, Baja California. [Filming] Principal photography on the film began in New Mexico on November 8, 2016, and then it was shot in Mexico City and Tijuana, Baja California.

Hildur Guðnadóttir composed the score for the film, after collaborating with Jóhann Jóhannsson on the first film as a cello soloist. The soundtrack was released by Varese Sarabande Records.

Critical Reception

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Sicario: Day of the Soldado holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, "Though less subversive than its predecessor, Sicario: Day of the Soldado succeeds as a stylish, dynamic thriller,even if its amoral machismo makes for grim viewing." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 50 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".