Profits and the superhero films that love them

[See Cap Run]

Hi guys,

I did a search but I couldn't find an earlier topic that discussed this issue. I got to thinking and there are sites such as Box Office Mojo which list the highest-grossing comic book films but no list that I could find of the individual comic book films with the highest to lowest profit margins.

Therefore, I've decided to make one based on what I understand to be the general break-even point for films (doubling their production budget in world-wide gross) using Box Office Mojo's list of highest-grossing superhero films as a guide.

If anyone feels like continuing the list from where I left off or discussing it, feel free. Next up is the 24th highest-grossing superhero film on the Box Office Mojo list "Batman Returns". Superman Returns lost more than $148 million! OMG!

Here goes:

1. Marvel's The Avengers:

Production Budget= $220 million

Break-even point= $440 million

Worldwide total=$1,518,594,910

Total profit for studio= $1,078,594,110

2. Iron Man 3:

Production Budget= $200 million

Break-even point= $400 million

Worldwide total= $1,215,439,994

Total profit for studio= $815,439,994



3. The Dark Knight:

Production Budget= $185 million

Break-even point= $370 million

Worldwide total= $1,004,558,444

Total profit for studio= $634,558,444

4. The Dark Knight Rises:

Production Budget= $250 million

Break-even point= $500 million

Worldwide total= $1,084,439,099

Total profit for studio= $584,439,099

5. Spider-Man:

Production Budget= $139 million

Break-even point= $278 million

Worldwide total= $821,708,551

Total profit for studio= $543,708,551

6. The Incredibles:

Production Budget= $92 million

Break-even point= $184 million

Worldwide total= $631,442,092

Total profit for studio= $447,442,092

7. Iron Man 2:

Production Budget= $200 million

Break-even point= $400 million

Worldwide total= $623,933,331

Total profit for studio= $423,933,331

8. Spider-Man 2:

Production Budget= $200 million

Break-even point= $400 million

Worldwide total= $783,766,341

Total profit for studio= $383,766,341

9. Spider-Man 3:

Production Budget= $258 million

Break-even point= $516 million

Worldwide total= $890,871,626

Total profit for studio= $374,871,626

10. Batman:

Production Budget= $35 million

Break-even point= $70 million

Worldwide total= $411,348,924

Total profit for studio= $341,348,924

11. Hancock:

Production Budget= $150 million

Break-even point= $300 million

Worldwide total= $624,386,746

Total profit for studio= $324,386,746

12. Iron Man:

Production Budget= $140 million

Break-even point= $280 million

Worldwide total= $585,174,222

Total profit for studio= $305,174,222

13. Thor: The Dark World

Production Budget= $170 million

Break-even point= $340 million

Worldwide total so far= $632,741,947

Total profit for studio so far= $292,741,947

14. The Amazing Spider-Man

Production Budget= $230 million

Break-even point= $460 million

Worldwide total= $752,216,557

Total profit for studio= $292,216,557

15. Man of Steel:

Production Budget= $225 million

Break-even point= $450 million

Worldwide total= $668,045,518

Total profit for studio= $218,045,518

16. X2: X-Men United

Production Budget= $110 million

Break-even point= $220 million

Worldwide total= $407,711,549

Total profit for studio= $187,711,549

17. Thor:

Production Budget= $150 million

Break-even point= $300 million

Worldwide total= $449,326,618

Total profit for studio= $149,326,618


18. Batman Forever:

Production Budget= $100 million

Break-even point= $200 million

Worldwide total= $336,529,144

Total profit for studio= $136,529,144


19. Captain America: The First Avenger:

Production Budget= $140 million

Break-even point= $280 million

Worldwide total= $370,569,774

Total profit for studio= $90,569,774


19. Batman Begins:

Production Budget= $150 million

Break-even point= $300 million

Worldwide total= $374,218,673

Total profit for studio= $74,218,673


21. X-Men Origins: Wolverine:

Production Budget= $150 million

Break-even point= $300 million

Worldwide total= $373,062,864

Total profit for studio= $73,062,864


22. X-Men: The Last Stand:

Production Budget= $210 million

Break-even point= $420 million

Worldwide total= $459,359,555

Total profit for studio= $39,359,555


23. Superman Returns:

Production Budget= $270 million

Break-even point= $540 million

Worldwide total= $391,081,192

Total money lost by studio= $148,918,808

 

[metaphysician]

I think all your calculations are wrong, for the same reason: you double the production budget, and subtract it from the worldwide gross. What you should do is *halve the WW gross*, and subtract the budget. Studios get about half of every dollar in gross revenue as actual income, the rest going to the theaters and other middlemen. Its that remaining pool of money that has to pay off the investment.

 

[See Cap Run]

Thanks for the info metaphysician! So if a film has a budget of $150 million and it makes $600 million worldwide, then the profit for the studio would be about $150 million?

 

[metaphysician]

Thereabouts. Obviously, this is effected by a ton of stuff, like tax breaks, "percent of theater take vs release week", marketing budget and how much is actually real dollars. However, its best to figure that most of those are a wash ( since movies are front loaded in ticket sales, anyway, which is a big buff to total profitability ).

So, in the case of Avengers, the profit for the studio was probably about $530M dollars, minus however much of a percent they had to pay out to people ( mostly RDJ ).