Overlay: Financial performance of Nomadland (2020)

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Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
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How were these counts calculated?

Missing (1)

The figure $15M-$20M likely represents the studio's share of gross revenue (rentlost-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 budget ($39.5M on $5M budget) and won Best Picture.

[2] Production budget is widely cited as $5 million.

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

[4] Domestic box office was $3.7 million according to Box Office Mojo.

[5] International box office was $35.8 million.

[6] Worldwide total was $39.5 million.

[7] 90.6% of $39.5M is $35.8M, matching the international share.

[8] Top markets match Box Office Mojo data: France ($4.2M), Germany ($4.0M), UK ($3.0M).

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

[10] Physical release date was April 27, 2021.

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

[12] $39.5M is approximately 7.9 times $5M.

[13] The figure $15M-$20M likely represents the studio's share of gross revenue (rentals), not net profit. Net profit (Rentals - Budget) would be ~$11M. The term 'profit' is used loosely here.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

No oversights detected.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 What was the marketing budget for Nomadland?

#02 How does Nomadland's box office compare to other Best Picture winners?

#03 Did Nomadland make a profit after marketing costs?

#S SOURCES

the-numbers.com wikipedia.org reddit.com reddit.com the-numbers.com reddit.com

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

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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) had a production budget of approximately $5 million. It grossed $39.5 million worldwide, with a heavy international skew ($35.8 million international vs. $3.7 million domestic). The low domestic gross was influenced by a simultaneous release on Hulu on February 19, 2021. Top international markets included France ($4.2M) and Germany ($4.0M). While exact home media revenue is not public, the film appeared on the DEG 'Watched at Home' Top 20 chart following its Oscar wins. The film generated approximately $16 million in rental revenue for the studio, yielding a theatrical net profit of roughly $11 million before marketing costs.

OVERLAY REPORT