Disney’s ‘The Marvels’ Budget Is Insanely High

Is The Marvels too expensive?

Brie Larson The Marvels

Disney is doubling down on its investment in the superhero genre, and the numbers are there to prove it. Freshly unveiled company filings from a Disney subsidiary spotlight that the entertainment giant has poured over $270 million into the production of The Marvels.

As reported by Forbes, these fillings reveal a grand total expenditure of $274.8 million (£221.8 million) over a two-year period (up to September 30, 2022) in the creation of The Marvels. But there’s a twist: the production secured a substantial subsidy from the UK government, where the film was primarily shot. This subsidy amounted to $55 million (£44.4 million), effectively reducing the net spending on the film to $219.8 million.

Given the economics of the movie industry, where studios generally pocket roughly half of theater revenues, The Marvels will need to earn a minimum of $439.6 million at the worldwide box office to reach a break-even point, according to the site. This isn’t a small feat, even for a Marvel property.

One noticeable advantage for The Marvels is the recently announced delay of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two. The postponement of such a major contender offers a clearer field for The Marvels to dominate screens and attention during the 2023 fall movie season.

However, it’s not all smooth sailing. An ongoing shadow looms over the movie due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The labor dispute, if unresolved by October 2023, could potentially hamper the cast’s ability to engage in press tours, interviews, and promotional events.

The talent behind The Marvels

The Marvels is set to be a groundbreaking film in many ways. Not only does it feature three powerful female superheroes, but it also has a female director, Nia DaCosta, who previously directed the horror flick Candyman. The movie features a cast that includes Zawe Ashton, Park Seo-joon, Saagar Shaikh, Zenobia Shroff, and Mohan Kapur.

“She has a really calm vibe, too,” Iman Vellani said about DaCosta. “These movies are not easy to make at all. There’s like a million, bajillion little moving pieces. She and [executive producer] Mary [Livanos] did such a great job to keep morale high. Even if there were days where they wanted to rip people’s heads off, they would never show it and never put their stress on anyone else.”

In addition to directing The Marvels, Nia DaCosta also co-wrote the script alongside Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik, and Zeb Wells. During an interview, DaCosta described the movie as being “full comic book madness,” teasing what audiences can expect from the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe project.

Stay tuned for all the latest news surrounding the future of The Marvels and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!

Rick Lemoine

Rick Lemoine

Raised on a hearty dose of Marvel and DC comics, Rick combines his love for superheroes with a knack for writing about Hollywood's brightest.