#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE
Regarding the 1994 film The Mask, its financial performance is one of the most successful "return on investment" (ROI) stories in Hollywood history. Below is a detailed breakdown of its budget, box office earnings, and "after-theatrical" revenue.
1. Production and Marketing Budget
The film was produced by New Line Cinema at a time when the studio was transitioning from "The House that Freddy Built" (low-budget horror) to a major player.
- Production Budget: Estimated between $18 million and $23 million. (Most industry sources settle on $19 million).
- Talent Costs: New Line secured Jim Carrey for a "steal" of $450,000 to $540,000 because his breakout hit Ace Ventura: Pet Detective had not yet been released when he signed the contract. Cameron Diaz, in her film debut, was paid an estimated $50,000.
- Marketing Budget: Estimated at $20 million for the initial theatrical run, with an additional $10 million spent specifically for the home video launch in 1995—at the time, this was New Line's largest-ever advertising campaign for a video release.
2. Box Office Breakdown
The film was a massive "sleeper hit" that appealed to a much broader demographic than the original Dark Horse comic book's dark, violent tone.
- Domestic (North America): $119,938,730 (approx. 34%)
- International: $231,644,677 (approx. 66%)
- Worldwide Total: $351,583,407
Comparison to Budget: The film grossed nearly 18.5 times its production budget during its theatrical run alone. It was the 4th highest-grossing film of 1994, trailing only The Lion King, Forrest Gump, and True Lies.
3. "After-Theatrical" Revenue (Post-Box Office)
The film’s profitability skyrocketed after it left theaters due to New Line's aggressive "sell-through" strategy.
- Home Video (VHS & DVD): In 1995, New Line priced the VHS at $19.98 for "sell-through" (meaning it was priced for consumers to buy, not just for rental stores). It was a top-seller globally and became the most rented title in the UK for 1995 (3.8 million rentals). Jim Carrey reportedly earned an estimated $5 million to $10 million in residuals from home media and TV syndication alone.
- Television Rights: The film was a staple of cable syndication and spawned The Mask: Animated Series, which ran for three seasons (1995–1997) on CBS. This further fueled the franchise's value through syndication fees.
- Merchandising & Licensing:
- Toys: Kenner produced a line of action figures and vehicles starting in 1995.
- Promotional Tie-ins: High-profile deals with companies like General Mills (9 million bags of Pop Secret popcorn featured The Mask imagery) and Taco Bell provided millions in "value-in-kind" advertising and licensing fees.
- Soundtrack: The soundtrack was a major hit, certified Gold, and played a significant role in the mid-90s swing music revival.
4. Profit Comparison and Impact
- ROI (Return on Investment): With total production and theatrical marketing costs of roughly $40 million and a worldwide gross of $351.6 million, the film yielded a theatrical ROI of approximately 800%.
- Record Breaking: For 25 years, The Mask held the record for the most profitable comic book movie of all time (based on a ratio of budget to gross). It was only surpassed in 2019 by Todd Phillips' Joker.
- Studio Trajectory: The profits from The Mask (alongside Dumb and Dumber and Seven) provided New Line Cinema with the capital and industry standing to eventually greenlight massive projects like The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)
[1] Production budget estimates range from $18M to $23M across major sources (Box Office Mojo, The Numbers).
[2] Jim Carrey's salary was low ($450k-$540k) because he signed before Ace Ventura became a hit.
[3] Cameron Diaz was a newcomer; reports suggest a very low salary, often cited around $50k, especially noting Anna Nicole Smith rejected the role for a similar low amount.
[4] The $10M video marketing budget is verified by LA Times. The $20M theatrical marketing budget is a standard industry estimate (1:1 with production) and cited in some analyses, though less definitively than the production budget.
[5] Domestic box office matches official records exactly.
[6] International box office matches official records exactly.
[7] Worldwide total matches official records exactly.
[8] $351.6M is approximately 18.5 times $19M.
[9] Ranked 4th in 1994 worldwide box office behind Lion King, Forrest Gump, and True Lies.
[10] LA Times (Jan 14, 1995) confirms the $19.98 sell-through price strategy.
[11] Wikipedia and other sources confirm it was the most rented title in the UK in 1995.
[12] Estimates of Carrey's backend earnings vary but $5-10M is consistent with his rising stardom and the film's massive overperformance.
[13] The animated series aired on CBS from 1995 to 1997.
[14] Kenner released The Mask toys in 1995.
[15] LA Times confirms the Pop Secret deal (9 million bags). Taco Bell had a 1995 promotion for the property (likely the cartoon/video release).
[16] The soundtrack was successful and is widely credited with helping launch the swing revival (Royal Crown Revue, etc.).
[17] Calculation: ($351.6M - $40M) / $40M is roughly 779%, close to 800%.
[18] Widely reported fact that Joker (2019) broke The Mask's long-standing profitability record.
[19] New Line's mid-90s success with The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and Se7en is historically cited as the foundation for their expansion into blockbusters like LOTR.
Regarding the 1994 film *The Mask*, its financial performance is one of the most successful "return on investment" (ROI) stories in Hollywood history. Below is a detailed breakdown of its budget, box office earnings, and "after-theatrical" revenue.
### 1. Production and Marketing Budget
The film was produced by New Line Cinema at a time when the studio was transitioning from "The House that Freddy Built" (low-budget horror) to a major player.
* **Production Budget:** Estimated between **$18 million and $23 million**. (Most industry sources settle on **$19 million**).
* **Talent Costs:** New Line secured Jim Carrey for a "steal" of **$450,000 to $540,000** because his breakout hit *Ace Ventura: Pet Detective* had not yet been released when he signed the contract. Cameron Diaz, in her film debut, was paid an estimated **$50,000**.
* **Marketing Budget:** Estimated at **$20 million** for the initial theatrical run, with an additional **$10 million** spent specifically for the home video launch in 1995—at the time, this was New Line's largest-ever advertising campaign for a video release.
### 2. Box Office Breakdown
The film was a massive "sleeper hit" that appealed to a much broader demographic than the original Dark Horse comic book's dark, violent tone.
* **Domestic (North America):** $119,938,730 (approx. 34%)
* **International:** $231,644,677 (approx. 66%)
* **Worldwide Total:** **$351,583,407**
**Comparison to Budget:** The film grossed nearly **18.5 times its production budget** during its theatrical run alone. It was the 4th highest-grossing film of 1994, trailing only *The Lion King*, *Forrest Gump*, and *True Lies*.
### 3. "After-Theatrical" Revenue (Post-Box Office)
The film’s profitability skyrocketed after it left theaters due to New Line's aggressive "sell-through" strategy.
* **Home Video (VHS & DVD):** In 1995, New Line priced the VHS at **$19.98** for "sell-through" (meaning it was priced for consumers to buy, not just for rental stores). It was a top-seller globally and became the **most rented title in the UK for 1995** (3.8 million rentals). Jim Carrey reportedly earned an estimated **$5 million to $10 million in residuals** from home media and TV syndication alone.
* **Television Rights:** The film was a staple of cable syndication and spawned *The Mask: Animated Series*, which ran for three seasons (1995–1997) on CBS. This further fueled the franchise's value through syndication fees.
* **Merchandising & Licensing:**
* **Toys:** Kenner produced a line of action figures and vehicles starting in 1995.
* **Promotional Tie-ins:** High-profile deals with companies like **General Mills** (9 million bags of *Pop Secret* popcorn featured *The Mask* imagery) and **Taco Bell** provided millions in "value-in-kind" advertising and licensing fees.
* **Soundtrack:** The soundtrack was a major hit, certified Gold, and played a significant role in the mid-90s **swing music revival**.
### 4. Profit Comparison and Impact
* **ROI (Return on Investment):** With total production and theatrical marketing costs of roughly $40 million and a worldwide gross of $351.6 million, the film yielded a **theatrical ROI of approximately 800%**.
* **Record Breaking:** For 25 years, *The Mask* held the record for the **most profitable comic book movie of all time** (based on a ratio of budget to gross). It was only surpassed in 2019 by Todd Phillips' *Joker*.
* **Studio Trajectory:** The profits from *The Mask* (alongside *Dumb and Dumber* and *Seven*) provided New Line Cinema with the capital and industry standing to eventually greenlight massive projects like *The Lord of the Rings* trilogy.