#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION
Regarding the film Arrival (2016), 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 Arrival (2016) was a major financial and critical success, particularly notable for its "legs" (longevity in theaters) and high return on investment (ROI) for a non-franchise, cerebral science-fiction drama.
1. Financial Breakdown
The Budget
- Production Budget: $47 million.
- Marketing (P&A): While specific figures are rarely disclosed, industry estimates for a mid-budget film with an Oscar-season push like Arrival typically range from $25–$40 million. Paramount acquired the North American and Chinese distribution rights for $20 million at the Cannes Film Festival.
Box Office Performance
- Domestic (US & Canada): $100.5 million (approx. 49.5% of total).
- International: $102.8 million (some sources list up to $112.2 million including re-releases).
- Worldwide Total: $203.4 million (reaching as high as $212.8 million following subsequent re-releases).
Post-Theatrical (Home Media & Ancillary)
In the "after-market," Arrival continued to perform well due to strong word-of-mouth and its status as a "thinking person's" sci-fi film.
- Domestic Home Video Sales: Approximately $20.6 million in North America alone (breakdown: $14.2M from Blu-ray and $6.4M from DVD).
- Digital/VOD: While specific digital rental/purchase numbers are not public, it was a consistent top-performer on platforms like iTunes and Vudu throughout the 2017 awards season.
- Streaming/TV Rights: The film’s licensing deals with platforms (like Hulu and later Paramount+) and cable networks added significantly to its total revenue, though these private contracts are not publicly itemized.
2. Comparison to Budget & Profitability
Arrival is cited as a textbook example of a "prestige" hit because its earnings far exceeded the traditional industry "break-even" threshold (usually 2.5x the production budget).
| Metric |
Figure |
Notes |
| Budget-to-Box Office Ratio |
~4.3x |
A ratio of 4.3 indicates the film was highly profitable before home media. |
| Theatrical Multiplier (Legs) |
4.18x |
This measures its domestic total against its $24M opening. High multipliers (anything >3x) indicate strong word-of-mouth. |
| Distributor ROI (Paramount) |
High |
Paramount's $20M acquisition of US/China rights yielded a $100M+ domestic gross, making it one of their most efficient investments of 2016. |
3. Why it Succeeded Financially
- Efficient Production: Director Denis Villeneuve produced a visual scale that critics noted looked far more expensive than its $47M price tag (for comparison, Interstellar cost $165M and The Martian cost $108M).
- Awards Season Bump: The film was released in November and stayed in theaters for 17 weeks. After receiving 8 Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture), it was re-expanded into over 1,000 theaters in early 2017, generating a late-stage revenue surge.
- Counter-Programming: It served as a successful alternative for adult audiences during a season dominated by blockbusters like Doctor Strange and Fantastic Beasts.
#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)
[1] The film was a financial success with a $47M budget and $200M+ gross.
[2] Production budget is widely reported as $47 million.
[3] P&A costs are rarely public, but $25-40M is a standard estimate for a mid-budget wide release with an awards campaign.
[4] Paramount purchased North American and Chinese rights for $20 million at Cannes 2014.
[5] Domestic gross was $100.5 million.
[6] International gross ranges from $102.8M (Box Office Mojo) to $112.2M (The Numbers).
[7] Worldwide total is $203.4M (Box Office Mojo) or $212.8M (The Numbers).
[8] Domestic video sales totaled ~$20.6 million ($14.2M Blu-ray, $6.4M DVD).
[9] The multiplier is calculated as Domestic Total ($100.5M) divided by Opening Weekend ($24M), which equals ~4.18.
[10] Opening weekend gross was $24,074,047.
[11] While the acquisition was efficient, the China box office was only ~$15.9M, meaning the 'China rights' portion was not a major profit driver compared to the US performance.
[12] Interstellar's budget was approximately $165 million.
[13] The Martian's budget was approximately $108 million.
[14] Arrival received 8 Academy Award nominations.
#C RELATED QUERIES
#01 What was the specific box office gross of Arrival in China?
#02 Did Arrival make a net profit according to Deadline's tournament?
#03 How does Arrival's multiplier compare to other 2016 sci-fi films?
The film *Arrival* (2016) was a major financial and critical success, particularly notable for its "legs" (longevity in theaters) and high return on investment (ROI) for a non-franchise, cerebral science-fiction drama.
### **1. Financial Breakdown**
#### **The Budget**
* **Production Budget:** **$47 million**.
* **Marketing (P&A):** While specific figures are rarely disclosed, industry estimates for a mid-budget film with an Oscar-season push like *Arrival* typically range from **$25–$40 million**. Paramount acquired the North American and Chinese distribution rights for **$20 million** at the Cannes Film Festival.
#### **Box Office Performance**
* **Domestic (US & Canada):** $100.5 million (approx. 49.5% of total).
* **International:** $102.8 million (some sources list up to $112.2 million including re-releases).
* **Worldwide Total:** **$203.4 million** (reaching as high as **$212.8 million** following subsequent re-releases).
#### **Post-Theatrical (Home Media & Ancillary)**
In the "after-market," *Arrival* continued to perform well due to strong word-of-mouth and its status as a "thinking person's" sci-fi film.
* **Domestic Home Video Sales:** Approximately **$20.6 million** in North America alone (breakdown: $14.2M from Blu-ray and $6.4M from DVD).
* **Digital/VOD:** While specific digital rental/purchase numbers are not public, it was a consistent top-performer on platforms like iTunes and Vudu throughout the 2017 awards season.
* **Streaming/TV Rights:** The film’s licensing deals with platforms (like Hulu and later Paramount+) and cable networks added significantly to its total revenue, though these private contracts are not publicly itemized.
---
### **2. Comparison to Budget & Profitability**
*Arrival* is cited as a textbook example of a "prestige" hit because its earnings far exceeded the traditional industry "break-even" threshold (usually 2.5x the production budget).
| Metric | Figure | Notes |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Budget-to-Box Office Ratio** | **~4.3x** | A ratio of 4.3 indicates the film was highly profitable before home media. |
| **Theatrical Multiplier (Legs)** | **4.18x** | This measures its domestic total against its $24M opening. High multipliers (anything >3x) indicate strong word-of-mouth. |
| **Distributor ROI (Paramount)** | **High** | Paramount's $20M acquisition of US/China rights yielded a $100M+ domestic gross, making it one of their most efficient investments of 2016. |
### **3. Why it Succeeded Financially**
* **Efficient Production:** Director Denis Villeneuve produced a visual scale that critics noted looked far more expensive than its $47M price tag (for comparison, *Interstellar* cost $165M and *The Martian* cost $108M).
* **Awards Season Bump:** The film was released in November and stayed in theaters for 17 weeks. After receiving **8 Academy Award nominations** (including Best Picture), it was re-expanded into over 1,000 theaters in early 2017, generating a late-stage revenue surge.
* **Counter-Programming:** It served as a successful alternative for adult audiences during a season dominated by blockbusters like *Doctor Strange* and *Fantastic Beasts*.