Overlay: Nomadland (2020) Financial Performance

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Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
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How were these counts calculated?

Missing (1)

The term 'profit' here is technically 'theatrical rentals' (the distributor's shlost-nuance

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

Regarding the film Nomadland (2020), how much did the film make at both the box office and after (detail breakdown), and how did that compare to its budget?

#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE

The film Nomadland (2020) is considered a major financial and critical success, particularly given its modest production budget and the challenging theatrical landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Financial Breakdown

Budget

Production Budget: Approximately $5 million.
Note: Some industry reports place the budget between $4 million and $6 million, but $5 million is the most widely cited figure. This relatively low cost was achieved by using a small crew (around 36 people) and casting real-life nomads instead of professional actors for many roles.

Box Office Performance

Despite a simultaneous streaming release in the U.S., the film performed exceptionally well internationally.

Domestic (USA & Canada): $3.7 million
International: $35.8 million
Worldwide Total: $39.5 million

Key Takeaways:

International Lean: A staggering 90.6% of its theatrical revenue came from outside North America.
Top Markets: France ($4.2M), Germany ($4.0M), and the United Kingdom ($3.0M) were its strongest performing territories.
Pandemic Context: The domestic box office was intentionally suppressed by a hybrid release strategy; it debuted on Hulu the same day it hit theaters (February 19, 2021).

Post-Theatrical (Home Media & Streaming)

Streaming (Hulu/Disney+): Because Nomadland was owned by Searchlight Pictures (a Disney subsidiary), it served as "prestige" content for Disney's streaming platforms. While Disney does not disclose specific revenue for individual titles on Hulu, the film’s Best Picture win drove significant viewership and subscription retention.
Physical Sales (Blu-ray/DVD): The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 27, 2021. While exact total dollar amounts for physical sales of independent films are often kept private, Nomadland appeared on the DEG (Digital Entertainment Group) "Watched at Home" Top 20 charts following its Oscar wins, indicating strong VOD (Video on Demand) and rental performance.
The "Oscar Bump": Winning three Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress) typically grants a "long tail" of revenue. Even years later, the film remains a staple in digital rental libraries and educational licensing.

2. Comparison: Revenue vs. Budget

Profitability Ratio: The film’s worldwide box office ($39.5M) was roughly 8 times its production budget ($5M).
Theatrical Split: Even after the standard 50/50 split with theater owners, the film likely cleared $15M–$20M in theatrical profit alone before marketing costs (P&A).
Marketing Costs: Prestige films like Nomadland often have high marketing budgets relative to their production costs (sometimes exceeding the production budget itself) to fuel an Oscar campaign. However, the film's sweep of the awards season essentially acted as "free" advertising that fueled its massive international success.

Summary Table

Category	Amount	Notes
Budget	$5 million	Independent production scale.
Domestic Box Office	$3.7 million	Impacted by simultaneous Hulu release.
International Box Office	$35.8 million	Driven by strong European performance.
Total Box Office	$39.5 million	~800% return on production budget.
Awards Impact	High	3 Oscars, including Best Picture, secured long-term value.

Conclusion: Nomadland is a rare example of a "prestige" film that was both a critical darling and a massive financial win. It proved that a low-budget, character-driven drama could achieve substantial global profitability even without a traditional exclusive theatrical window.

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] The film was a financial success relative to its budget, grossing nearly $40M on a $5M budget.

[2] Multiple sources cite the production budget as $5 million.

[3] Industry reports vary slightly ($4-6M), but $5M is the standard figure used in financial analysis.

[4] Screen Daily confirms the crew size was approximately 36 people.

[5] Box Office Mojo and The Numbers report domestic gross as $3.7 million.

[6] Box Office Mojo reports international gross as approximately $35.8 million.

[7] Box Office Mojo reports worldwide gross as approximately $39.5 million.

[8] Calculation: $35.8M / $39.5M = 90.6%.

[9] Box Office Mojo confirms these specific figures for France, Germany, and the UK.

[10] The film was released on Hulu and in theaters simultaneously on February 19, 2021.

[11] Blu-ray/DVD release date was April 27, 2021.

[12] Nomadland debuted at #11 on the DEG 'Watched at Home' Top 20 chart for the week ending April 24, 2021.

[13] $39.5M is approximately 7.9 times $5M.

[14] The term 'profit' here is technically 'theatrical rentals' (the distributor's share of the box office gross). True profit would deduct the production budget and marketing costs from this amount. However, the calculation ($15-20M share) is accurate based on standard splits.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

No oversights detected.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 What was the marketing budget for Nomadland?

#02 How did Nomadland's box office compare to other Best Picture winners during the pandemic?

#S SOURCES

reddit.com gruvi.tv the-numbers.com fandom.com screendaily.com wikipedia.org thejoyofmovies.ca screen-connections.com marketingmovies.net marketingmovies.net theguardian.com screen-connections.com imdb.com

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

▼

The film *Nomadland* (2020) is considered a major financial and critical success, particularly given its modest production budget and the challenging theatrical landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic. ### **1. Financial Breakdown** #### **Budget** * **Production Budget:** Approximately **$5 million**. * *Note:* Some industry reports place the budget between $4 million and $6 million, but $5 million is the most widely cited figure. This relatively low cost was achieved by using a small crew (around 36 people) and casting real-life nomads instead of professional actors for many roles. #### **Box Office Performance** Despite a simultaneous streaming release in the U.S., the film performed exceptionally well internationally. * **Domestic (USA & Canada):** **$3.7 million** * **International:** **$35.8 million** * **Worldwide Total:** **$39.5 million** **Key Takeaways:** * **International Lean:** A staggering **90.6%** of its theatrical revenue came from outside North America. * **Top Markets:** France ($4.2M), Germany ($4.0M), and the United Kingdom ($3.0M) were its strongest performing territories. * **Pandemic Context:** The domestic box office was intentionally suppressed by a hybrid release strategy; it debuted on Hulu the same day it hit theaters (February 19, 2021). #### **Post-Theatrical (Home Media & Streaming)** * **Streaming (Hulu/Disney+):** Because *Nomadland* was owned by Searchlight Pictures (a Disney subsidiary), it served as "prestige" content for Disney's streaming platforms. While Disney does not disclose specific revenue for individual titles on Hulu, the film’s Best Picture win drove significant viewership and subscription retention. * **Physical Sales (Blu-ray/DVD):** The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 27, 2021. While exact total dollar amounts for physical sales of independent films are often kept private, *Nomadland* appeared on the **DEG (Digital Entertainment Group) "Watched at Home" Top 20** charts following its Oscar wins, indicating strong VOD (Video on Demand) and rental performance. * **The "Oscar Bump":** Winning three Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress) typically grants a "long tail" of revenue. Even years later, the film remains a staple in digital rental libraries and educational licensing. --- ### **2. Comparison: Revenue vs. Budget** * **Profitability Ratio:** The film’s worldwide box office ($39.5M) was roughly **8 times its production budget ($5M)**. * **Theatrical Split:** Even after the standard 50/50 split with theater owners, the film likely cleared **$15M–$20M in theatrical profit** alone before marketing costs (P&A). * **Marketing Costs:** Prestige films like *Nomadland* often have high marketing budgets relative to their production costs (sometimes exceeding the production budget itself) to fuel an Oscar campaign. However, the film's sweep of the awards season essentially acted as "free" advertising that fueled its massive international success. ### **Summary Table** | Category | Amount | Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Budget** | $5 million | Independent production scale. | | **Domestic Box Office** | $3.7 million | Impacted by simultaneous Hulu release. | | **International Box Office** | $35.8 million | Driven by strong European performance. | | **Total Box Office** | **$39.5 million** | ~800% return on production budget. | | **Awards Impact** | High | 3 Oscars, including Best Picture, secured long-term value. | **Conclusion:** *Nomadland* is a rare example of a "prestige" film that was both a critical darling and a massive financial win. It proved that a low-budget, character-driven drama could achieve substantial global profitability even without a traditional exclusive theatrical window.

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)

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Nomadland (2020) grossed approximately $39.5 million worldwide against a production budget of $5 million. Its box office was heavily skewed internationally ($35.8 million) compared to domestic ($3.7 million), largely due to a simultaneous release on Hulu in the US. The film's top international markets were France ($4.2M), Germany ($4.0M), and the UK ($3.0M). Post-theatrical revenue was bolstered by its Best Picture win, appearing on the DEG 'Watched at Home' Top 20 chart upon its physical release in April 2021. While marketing costs likely exceeded the production budget, the film generated an estimated $15M-$20M in theatrical rentals (distributor share) alone, marking it as a significant financial success relative to its cost.

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