OVERLAY REPORT

The 2001 film **The Royal Tenenbaums** was a significant commercial and critical success for director Wes Anderson, serving as his breakout into the "Indiewood" mainstream. Below is a detailed breakdown of its financial performance. ### **1. Production Budget** The film’s production budget is widely reported as **$21 million**. * **Comparison:** This was a step up from Anderson's previous film, *Rushmore* (1998), which had a budget of approximately $9–10 million. Despite the larger budget, many of the film's A-list stars (including Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, and Gwyneth Paltrow) reportedly took significant salary cuts or worked for "scale" to participate in the production. ### **2. Box Office Performance** The film followed a "platform release" strategy, opening in only five theaters before expanding to nearly 1,000 screens. * **Domestic (North America):** $52,364,010 * **International:** $19,077,240 * **Worldwide Total:** **$71,441,250** **Note on the "$102 Million" Figure:** You may occasionally see a worldwide gross of ~$102 million cited (including in some Wikipedia snippets). This is typically an **inflation-adjusted** domestic figure used by data sites like *The Numbers* to compare its success to modern films. Its actual unadjusted theatrical gross was $71.4 million. ### **3. Post-Theatrical Revenue (Home Video & Licensing)** *The Royal Tenenbaums* was released during the "DVD boom" of the early 2000s, a period when home media sales often matched or exceeded theatrical earnings for cult-classic and indie films. * **DVD & VHS Release (July 9, 2002):** The film became a staple of home collections. It was notably the first Wes Anderson film to receive a high-profile **Criterion Collection** release shortly after its theatrical run, which commanded a premium price point ($39.95 MSRP at the time). * **Breakdown Estimates:** While specific total dollar amounts for 2001 home video sales are often not publicly disclosed by studios, historical context shows that similar "Indiewood" hits of that era typically generated **$30–$50 million** in gross consumer spending on home media within their first two years. * **Television & Streaming:** As a Touchstone Pictures (Disney) production, the film has had long-term licensing value. It transitioned from premium cable (HBO/Starz) to basic cable and eventually to Disney-owned streaming platforms like Hulu and Disney+. ### **4. Financial Summary & Budget Comparison** To determine if a film was "profitable," industry experts generally look at **Theatrical Rentals** (the studio's actual cut of the box office) versus the total costs (Production + Marketing). | Category | Amount (Estimated) | | :--- | :--- | | **Production Budget** | $21,000,000 | | **Marketing (P&A)** | ~$15,000,000 – $20,000,000 | | **Total Investment** | **~$36,000,000 – $41,000,000** | | **Studio Theatrical Share (Rentals)** | ~$31,000,000 | | **Net Ancillary Revenue (DVD/TV)** | ~$25,000,000+ | **Conclusion:** *The Royal Tenenbaums* was a **highly profitable** venture. While the studio’s theatrical share ($31M) didn't quite cover the combined $40M+ cost of production and marketing on its own, the film’s massive success on DVD and its enduring status as a classic meant it comfortably cleared its "break-even" point within its first year of home release. It remained Wes Anderson's highest-grossing film for 13 years until it was surpassed by *The Grand Budapest Hotel* in 2014.