Overlay: Cruella (2021) Financial Performance

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Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
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How were these counts calculated?

Missing (3)

While Disney keeps 100% of revenue from direct web sales, purchases made throughlost-nuance UK Tax Credits: The film was shot in the UK and likely benefited from the UK Fillost-nuance Platform Fees on PVOD: The summary implies Disney keeps 100% of PVOD revenue. Inlost-nuance

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

Regarding the film Cruella (2021), 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

Regarding the 2021 film Cruella, the financial performance was shaped significantly by its "hybrid" release strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access (a $29.99 surcharge).

1. Box Office Performance

The film's theatrical run was considered a success relative to the pandemic-era conditions, showing strong "legs" (longevity) in theaters despite being available at home.

Domestic (U.S. & Canada): $86,103,234
International: $147,400,000
Total Worldwide Gross: $233,503,234

2. Post-Box Office Revenue (Detailed Breakdown)

Beyond the box office, Cruella generated substantial revenue through streaming and home media, though specific Disney+ figures are rarely released officially.

Disney+ Premier Access (PVOD):
- According to Samba TV, which tracks smart TV viewership, approximately 686,000 U.S. households purchased the film in its opening weekend, generating roughly $20.6 million in its first four days.
- By the end of its first 30 days, estimates suggest it was watched by 1.8 million U.S. households, bringing the 30-day domestic streaming revenue to approximately $54 million.
- Because Disney keeps nearly 100% of these proceeds (as opposed to the ~50% cut theaters take), this revenue was arguably more valuable to the studio than the box office total.
Home Media (DVD & Blu-ray):
- In North America, the film earned an estimated $7.5 million in combined DVD and Blu-ray sales.
Television & Ancillary:
- While specific licensing fees for television rights are not public, Cruella’s transition to the standard Disney+ library and its syndication on cable networks provide ongoing long-tail revenue for the studio.

3. Budget vs. Earnings Comparison

There has been some discrepancy in reported budget figures, but industry consensus settles on the following:

Production Budget: Most reliable trade sources (such as Forbes and Variety) cite a production cost of $100 million. (Some early rumors suggested $200 million, but this is widely considered to have included marketing or been an overestimation).
Marketing Budget (P&A): While never officially disclosed, industry standards for a $100 million Disney tentpole suggest a marketing spend of at least $50 million to $100 million.

Financial Analysis:

The "Breakeven" Rule: Typically, a film needs to earn roughly 2.5x its production budget ($250 million) to break even at the box office once theater cuts and marketing are factored in.
The Verdict: With a $233.5 million box office gross, Cruella technically fell slightly short of traditional theatrical profitability. However, when you add the estimated $50M–$100M+ in global Premier Access revenue, the film likely moved into the profit zone.

Disney signaled their satisfaction with these numbers by greenlighting a sequel almost immediately after the opening weekend. In a 2021 statement, a Disney spokesperson noted they were "very pleased with Cruella’s box office success in conjunction with its strong Disney+ Premier Access performance."

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] Box Office Mojo reports a domestic gross of $86,103,234.

[2] Box Office Mojo reports an international gross of $147,400,000.

[3] Box Office Mojo reports a worldwide gross of $233,503,234.

[4] Samba TV reported 686,000 US households watched Cruella on Disney+ Premier Access during the 4-day Memorial Day weekend.

[5] 686,000 households multiplied by the $29.99 price point equals approximately $20.57 million.

[6] Samba TV reported 1.8 million US households watched Cruella in its first 30 days.

[7] 1.8 million households multiplied by $29.99 equals approximately $54 million.

[8] While Disney keeps 100% of revenue from direct web sales, purchases made through the Disney+ app on platforms like Apple TV, Roku, Google TV, and Amazon Fire TV are subject to platform fees typically ranging from 15% to 30%.

[9] The Numbers reports total domestic video sales (DVD + Blu-ray) of $7,540,019.

[10] Forbes and Variety cite the production budget at $100 million. Rumors of $200 million were widely debunked as conflating marketing costs or confusing it with Mulan.

[11] With $54M from US PVOD alone, adding international markets (UK, Germany, Australia, etc.) makes the $50M-$100M global estimate highly plausible.

[12] Disney announced a sequel was in development in early June 2021, shortly after the film's release.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

Low

UK Tax Credits

The film was shot in the UK and likely benefited from the UK Film Tax Relief (approx. 25% rebate on qualifying spend), meaning the *net* cost to Disney was likely lower than the reported $100M gross budget.

Low

Platform Fees on PVOD

The summary implies Disney keeps 100% of PVOD revenue. In reality, platform holders (Apple, Roku, etc.) take a cut (15-30%) of in-app purchases, though Disney retains significantly more than the theatrical split.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 What was the net budget of Cruella after UK tax credits?

#02 How does Cruella's PVOD revenue compare to Black Widow?

#03 Has the Cruella sequel started filming yet?

#S SOURCES

toonado.com wikipedia.org

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

▼

Regarding the 2021 film *Cruella*, the financial performance was shaped significantly by its "hybrid" release strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access (a $29.99 surcharge). ### **1. Box Office Performance** The film's theatrical run was considered a success relative to the pandemic-era conditions, showing strong "legs" (longevity) in theaters despite being available at home. * **Domestic (U.S. & Canada):** $86,103,234 * **International:** $147,400,000 * **Total Worldwide Gross:** **$233,503,234** ### **2. Post-Box Office Revenue (Detailed Breakdown)** Beyond the box office, *Cruella* generated substantial revenue through streaming and home media, though specific Disney+ figures are rarely released officially. * **Disney+ Premier Access (PVOD):** * According to **Samba TV**, which tracks smart TV viewership, approximately **686,000 U.S. households** purchased the film in its opening weekend, generating roughly **$20.6 million** in its first four days. * By the end of its first 30 days, estimates suggest it was watched by 1.8 million U.S. households, bringing the 30-day domestic streaming revenue to approximately **$54 million**. * Because Disney keeps nearly 100% of these proceeds (as opposed to the ~50% cut theaters take), this revenue was arguably more valuable to the studio than the box office total. * **Home Media (DVD & Blu-ray):** * In North America, the film earned an estimated **$7.5 million** in combined DVD and Blu-ray sales. * **Television & Ancillary:** * While specific licensing fees for television rights are not public, *Cruella*’s transition to the standard Disney+ library and its syndication on cable networks provide ongoing long-tail revenue for the studio. ### **3. Budget vs. Earnings Comparison** There has been some discrepancy in reported budget figures, but industry consensus settles on the following: * **Production Budget:** Most reliable trade sources (such as *Forbes* and *Variety*) cite a production cost of **$100 million**. (Some early rumors suggested $200 million, but this is widely considered to have included marketing or been an overestimation). * **Marketing Budget (P&A):** While never officially disclosed, industry standards for a $100 million Disney tentpole suggest a marketing spend of at least **$50 million to $100 million**. #### **Financial Analysis:** * **The "Breakeven" Rule:** Typically, a film needs to earn roughly **2.5x its production budget** ($250 million) to break even at the box office once theater cuts and marketing are factored in. * **The Verdict:** With a $233.5 million box office gross, *Cruella* technically fell slightly short of traditional theatrical profitability. However, when you add the estimated **$50M–$100M+ in global Premier Access revenue**, the film likely moved into the profit zone. Disney signaled their satisfaction with these numbers by greenlighting a **sequel** almost immediately after the opening weekend. In a 2021 statement, a Disney spokesperson noted they were "very pleased with *Cruella*’s box office success in conjunction with its strong Disney+ Premier Access performance."

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)

▼

Cruella (2021) grossed $233.5 million worldwide at the box office ($86.1M domestic, $147.4M international). Additionally, it generated significant revenue via Disney+ Premier Access, with estimates of ~$20.6 million in the US opening weekend and ~$54 million in the first 30 days domestically. Combined with international PVOD, streaming revenue likely added $50M-$100M+. Home media sales added another ~$7.5 million. Against a reported $100 million production budget (likely lower in net terms due to UK tax credits) and substantial marketing costs, the film was considered financially successful enough to justify a sequel, largely due to the high-margin PVOD revenue supplementing the theatrical gross.

OVERLAY REPORT