Birds of Prey, the 2020 DC Comics movie starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, had a bumpy road to profitability. The film cost around $100 million to make but only grossed $201.9 million at the box office. So did Birds of Prey break even, or did it lose money for Warner Bros.?
How Much Did Birds of Prey Make?
Birds of Prey grossed $201.9 million worldwide, with $84.6 million of that coming from the United States and Canada. That was well below expectations, as DC films usually gross over $100 million domestically. Here is a breakdown of the box office numbers:
Region | Box Office |
---|---|
United States/Canada | $84.6 million |
International | $117.3 million |
Worldwide Total | $201.9 million |
As you can see, Birds of Prey earned over half its money internationally. This isn’t surprising, as Margot Robbie is a big star overseas thanks to her breakout role in Wolf of Wall Street. Harley Quinn is also a very popular character globally.
Why Did Birds of Prey Underperform in the US?
There are a few reasons why Birds of Prey didn’t find its audience domestically:
- It was rated R, which limited its audience compared to a PG-13 rating.
- It had no connection to the wider DC Extended Universe after Suicide Squad.
- Margot Robbie was the only major star, lacking Will Smith’s draw.
- The marketing campaign struggled to define the movie’s tone and concept.
- It opened a week after Bad Boys for Life, which dominated screens.
The R-rating in particular hurt business, as teen comic book fans couldn’t see the film. Birds of Prey could have used those extra ticket sales.
How Much Did Birds of Prey Cost to Make?
The production budget for Birds of Prey was reportedly around $100 million. This covers all costs associated with making the movie, including:
- Cast and crew salaries
- CGI and special effects
- Set design and construction
- Costumes, makeup, props
- Location fees
- Post-production editing
A budget of $100 million is typical for a comic book action movie with a major star like Margot Robbie. Here are the production budgets for other recent DC films:
Movie | Budget |
---|---|
Justice League | $300 million |
Wonder Woman | $120 million |
Aquaman | $160 million |
Shazam! | $100 million |
Joker | $55 million |
At $100 million, Birds of Prey cost a typical amount compared to other DC films of the past few years.
What Factors Increased the Budget?
A few factors likely inflated Birds of Prey’s budget to $100 million:
- Margot Robbie’s salary – As a major star, she likely earned $10+ million.
- Reshoots – The film reportedly underwent expensive reshoots to change the tone.
- CGI/action scenes – Bigsequences like the funhouse battle cost millions.
- Musical rights – Licensing songs like “Diamonds” wasn’t cheap.
Still, $100 million is very reasonable for a movie of this scale featuring A-list talent like Robbie.
How Much Did Birds of Prey Spend on Marketing?
Studios don’t disclose exact marketing costs, but most major blockbusters spend around half their production budget to promote the film. Using that formula, Birds of Prey likely spent around $50 million on marketing costs including:
- TV commercials
- Online/social media advertising
- Billboards and print ads
- Trailers before other movies
- Talk show/press tour appearances
The $50 million is just for the USA/Canada campaign. There were additional marketing costs for international regions. All in, Birds of Prey may have spent $80+ million globally on advertising.
Did the Marketing Campaign Work?
The marketing campaign didn’t succeed in helping Birds of Prey find an audience. Some issues:
- Multiple title changes confused audiences.
- Trailers depicted an overly silly tone that turned off serious DC fans.
- Margot Robbie dominated marketing, obscuring other characters/actors.
- The R-rating limited promotional opportunities.
In the end, the campaign failed to createenough urgency among moviegoers to rush out opening weekend, dooming its box office.
What was Birds of Prey’s Total Budget?
Factoring together the production and marketing costs gives Birds of Prey a total budget in the range of:
- Production: $100 million
- Marketing: $50+ million domestically, $80+ million globally
- Total: $180 – $200+ million
For most studios, a movie needs to make 2-3 times its total budget to break even after theaters take their cut. Based on a $200 million total budget, Birds of Prey would have needed to earn $400+ million worldwide to be profitable.
How Did the Budget Affect Profitability?
The relatively high budget made breaking even challenging for Birds of Prey given lower demand for an R-rated female-led DC movie. With a smaller budget of around $100 million total, it could have broken even with just $200 million box office.
The budget increased expectations for box office success. When the movie disappointed, it looked like a bigger failure than if the budget had been scaled down to match the niche appeal.
Did Birds of Prey Break Even?
No, Birds of Prey did not break even at the box office. With total revenues of $201.9 million and a total budget likely over $180 million, the movie lost money for Warner Bros. How much depended on the final marketing costs, but losses were likely over $50 million based on theatrical returns alone.
However, Birds of Prey will earn additional revenues from:
- Home video sales and rentals
- TV licensing deals
- Streaming on HBO Max
These income streams could help make up the losses from the box office underperformance. But Birds of Prey still goes down as a financial disappointment and likely lost some money in the end.
What Factors Led to the Losses?
Birds of Prey failed to break even due to:
- High budget inflated expectations for box office success.
- R-rating limited audience reach in crucial domestic market.
- Marketing campaign failed to create urgency among moviegoers.
- Lack of well-known DC characters beyond Harley Quinn.
- Underwhelming critical reception hurt word-of-mouth.
In the future, Warner Bros. will likely pursue a PG-13 rating and smaller budget for any Harley Quinn-focused films to ensure profitability.
Conclusion
With a production budget over $100 million and a worldwide box office gross under $202 million, Birds of Prey did not break even financially based solely on its theatrical run. When including marketing costs, the film likely lost Warner Bros. over $50 million even with better legs overseas. However, post-theatrical revenues will help recoup some of those losses. The film was still a disappointment though and failed to capitalize commercially on Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.