Overlay: The Hangover (2009) Financial Performance

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Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
0	0	0	15

How were these counts calculated?

Counts based on original analysis categories (not yet classified).

Errors = Critical Errors + Imprecisions

Missing = Critical Omissions + Notable Gaps

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

Regarding the film The Hangover (2009), 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 2009 comedy The Hangover is considered one of the most profitable films in Hollywood history relative to its modest budget. It transformed Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis into superstars and turned director Todd Phillips into one of the industry's highest-paid directors.

1. The Budget

The production budget for The Hangover was $35 million.

Talent Costs: Because the leads were not "A-list" stars at the time, their salaries were relatively low. It is reported the three main actors (Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis) made less than $1 million combined for the first film.
Director's Deal: To get the movie made, director Todd Phillips famously gave up his $6.5 million salary in exchange for a 16% stake in the film's "back-end" profits. This proved to be a historic gamble.

2. Box Office Performance

The film was a massive "sleeper hit," opening at #1 and staying in theaters for months.

Domestic (US & Canada): $277,322,503
International: $191,988,333
Worldwide Total: $469,329,059

Comparison to Budget: The film grossed more than 13.4 times its production budget during its theatrical run alone. In its opening weekend ($44.9 million), it had already recouped its entire production cost.

3. Post-Theatrical Revenue (Home Media & Beyond)

The Hangover was released during the tail end of the "DVD boom," where physical sales were still a massive source of revenue for studios.

DVD & Blu-ray Sales (Domestic): The film became the #1 comedy of all time on DVD. In just its first three weeks, it sold 8.6 million units. To date, domestic physical sales (DVD and Blu-ray) are estimated at approximately $243.6 million.
Rentals & Digital: Initial rental and digital sales added tens of millions more, with early 2010 estimates putting combined consumer and rental units at over 9.5 million.
Television Rights: While specific figures for the first film's syndication are guarded, high-profile R-rated comedies of this era typically fetched $20M–$40M for initial cable broadcast rights (e.g., to networks like FX or Comedy Central).

4. Detailed Financial Breakdown vs. Budget

To understand the "profit" vs "budget," one must also account for Marketing (P&A).

Category	Amount (Approx.)	Notes
Production Budget	$35,000,000	The initial cost to shoot and edit the film.
Marketing (P&A)	$30,000,000 - $40,000,000	Standard for a wide-release summer comedy in 2009.
Total Investment	~$70,000,000	Total cost to get the film in front of audiences.
Box Office Revenue	$469,300,000	Worldwide theatrical total.
Home Video Sales	$243,600,000	Domestic DVD/Blu-ray sales only.
Total Known Revenue	$712,900,000+	Does not include international video or global TV rights.

5. The "Jackpot" for Todd Phillips

Because of the massive revenue from both the box office and the record-breaking home video sales, Todd Phillips' 16% stake resulted in a personal payout estimated at $70 million for the first film alone. This payout was roughly double the entire production budget of the movie.

Summary of Success

R-Rated Record: It was the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in U.S. history for nearly seven years (until Deadpool).
Return on Investment: Counting theatrical and domestic home video alone, the film generated over 20x its production budget.
Franchise Impact: The success of the first film was so immense that the budget for The Hangover Part II (2011) ballooned to $80 million, and the lead actors successfully renegotiated for $5 million each plus a share of the box office.

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] The production budget is widely reported as $35 million by major box office trackers.

[2] Trade reports confirm the three leads (Cooper, Helms, Galifianakis) were paid approximately $300,000 each, totaling less than $1 million.

[3] Todd Phillips waived his $6.5M upfront fee for ~16% of the gross, a deal widely cited in film finance reporting.

[4] Domestic box office gross matches Box Office Mojo records exactly.

[5] International box office gross matches Box Office Mojo records exactly.

[6] Worldwide box office gross matches Box Office Mojo records exactly.

[7] Mathematical calculation ($469M / $35M = 13.4) is accurate.

[8] Warner Bros. press releases from January 2010 confirmed 8.6 million units sold in the first few weeks.

[9] The Numbers tracks domestic video sales at ~$243.6 million ($187.8M DVD + $55.8M Blu-ray).

[10] While the specific contract is private, $20-40M is a standard range for cable rights for a blockbuster comedy of this era.

[11] P&A budgets are rarely public, but $30-40M is the industry standard for a wide release studio comedy in 2009.

[12] Multiple sources estimate Phillips' earnings from the first film between $70M and $80M due to the backend deal.

[13] Deadpool (2016) broke the record held by The Hangover (2009) for highest-grossing R-rated comedy.

[14] The budget for The Hangover Part II is listed as $80 million.

[15] Reports confirm the leads renegotiated for $5 million upfront plus backend for the sequel.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

No oversights detected.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 How much did The Hangover Part II make compared to the first one?

#02 What is the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time now?

#03 Did Todd Phillips make the same deal for Joker?

#S SOURCES

the-numbers.com saturation.io wikipedia.org wikipedia.org wikipedia.org entertainmentstrategyguy.com latimes.com digitalspy.com johnaugust.com thewrap.com collider.com

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

▼

The 2009 comedy *The Hangover* is considered one of the most profitable films in Hollywood history relative to its modest budget. It transformed Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis into superstars and turned director Todd Phillips into one of the industry's highest-paid directors. ### **1. The Budget** The production budget for *The Hangover* was **$35 million**. * **Talent Costs:** Because the leads were not "A-list" stars at the time, their salaries were relatively low. It is reported the three main actors (Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis) made less than **$1 million combined** for the first film. * **Director's Deal:** To get the movie made, director Todd Phillips famously gave up his $6.5 million salary in exchange for a **16% stake in the film's "back-end" profits**. This proved to be a historic gamble. ### **2. Box Office Performance** The film was a massive "sleeper hit," opening at #1 and staying in theaters for months. * **Domestic (US & Canada):** $277,322,503 * **International:** $191,988,333 * **Worldwide Total:** **$469,329,059** **Comparison to Budget:** The film grossed more than **13.4 times its production budget** during its theatrical run alone. In its opening weekend ($44.9 million), it had already recouped its entire production cost. ### **3. Post-Theatrical Revenue (Home Media & Beyond)** *The Hangover* was released during the tail end of the "DVD boom," where physical sales were still a massive source of revenue for studios. * **DVD & Blu-ray Sales (Domestic):** The film became the #1 comedy of all time on DVD. In just its first three weeks, it sold 8.6 million units. To date, domestic physical sales (DVD and Blu-ray) are estimated at approximately **$243.6 million**. * **Rentals & Digital:** Initial rental and digital sales added tens of millions more, with early 2010 estimates putting combined consumer and rental units at over 9.5 million. * **Television Rights:** While specific figures for the first film's syndication are guarded, high-profile R-rated comedies of this era typically fetched **$20M–$40M** for initial cable broadcast rights (e.g., to networks like FX or Comedy Central). ### **4. Detailed Financial Breakdown vs. Budget** To understand the "profit" vs "budget," one must also account for Marketing (P&A). | Category | Amount (Approx.) | Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Production Budget** | $35,000,000 | The initial cost to shoot and edit the film. | | **Marketing (P&A)** | $30,000,000 - $40,000,000 | Standard for a wide-release summer comedy in 2009. | | **Total Investment** | **~$70,000,000** | Total cost to get the film in front of audiences. | | **Box Office Revenue** | $469,300,000 | Worldwide theatrical total. | | **Home Video Sales** | $243,600,000 | Domestic DVD/Blu-ray sales only. | | **Total Known Revenue**| **$712,900,000+** | Does *not* include international video or global TV rights. | ### **5. The "Jackpot" for Todd Phillips** Because of the massive revenue from both the box office and the record-breaking home video sales, Todd Phillips' 16% stake resulted in a personal payout estimated at **$70 million** for the first film alone. This payout was roughly **double the entire production budget of the movie**. ### **Summary of Success** * **R-Rated Record:** It was the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in U.S. history for nearly seven years (until *Deadpool*). * **Return on Investment:** Counting theatrical and domestic home video alone, the film generated over **20x its production budget**. * **Franchise Impact:** The success of the first film was so immense that the budget for *The Hangover Part II* (2011) ballooned to **$80 million**, and the lead actors successfully renegotiated for **$5 million each** plus a share of the box office.

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)

▼

The Hangover (2009) was a financial phenomenon. Produced on a budget of $35 million, it grossed $469.3 million worldwide (13.4x its budget). Domestically, it earned $277.3 million, and internationally $192 million. It was the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in the US until Deadpool (2016). Post-theatrical revenue was equally massive, with domestic DVD/Blu-ray sales alone generating ~$243.6 million. Director Todd Phillips, having waived his $6.5M salary for ~16% of the gross, earned an estimated $70–$75 million from the first film. The three lead actors, who made <$1 million combined for the first movie, renegotiated for $5 million each plus backend for the sequel.

OVERLAY REPORT