The Boogeyman is set up for box office success thanks to the Stephen King movie adaptation having a relatively small budget. The literary works of legendary horror author Stephen King have long been a staple of Hollywood, with many becoming box office hits. While the short story that The Boogeyman is based on has never been made as a feature-length movie before, the 2023 horror film from director Rob Savage looks to follow in the footsteps of recent hits like both IT movies and 2019's Pet Sematary remake to become box office hits.

Written by A Quiet Place's Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, along with Black Swan's Mark Heyman, 2023's The Boogeyman adapts Stephen King's short story of the same name originally published in 1973. It follows sisters Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) as they are haunted by a terrifying presence. The Boogeyman's cast also includes Chris Messina and David Dastmalchian. With the film moving from a streaming release to theatrical, Disney has already shown faith in its financial potential. Here is how much The Boogeyman cost to make and what its box office needs to make to be successful.

The Boogeyman's Budget Is $30 Million

The Boogeyman movie

UPDATE: 2023/05/30 21:26 EST BY ROB KEYES

The Boogeyman'd budget and forecast numbers updated.

We've confirmed an accurate budget for The Boogeyman's total net production cost and updated the story and forecast as follows.

The Boogeyman's budget has never been officially reported by Disney or 20th Century, and even a trustworthy report of how much it cost to make has never surfaced. However, one early projection for the The Boogeyman's total cost to produce from Louisiana filings on Fastlane NextGen offers a starting point of $41.9 million based on estimated expenditures and payroll for filming in Louisiana. We've since verified from our sources that the actual budget was much less, coming in at $30 million.

A cast of recognizable names but no certified stars helped the studios keep the movie's budget low. While viewers might have seen some of the actors in other bigger movies or shows, they are not headline stars that demand massive paydays, which would have driven up the cost. The original plan for Disney to release The Boogeyman on streaming instead of in theaters also likely means it was made with a lower cost in mind.

The Boogeyman Needs At Least $60 Million At The Box Office To Succeed

Sophie Thatcher and Chris Messina looking afraid in The Boogeyman.

With an estimated budget coming in at approximately $30 million according to our sources, The Boogeyman's box office likely needs to make at least $60M to be viewed as a success. Most movies need to make anywhere between 2 or 3 times its budget to become profitable, but that often varies on the marketing campaign and how much studios pay to boost awareness of the film. With Disney and 20th Century not putting their full marketing attention behind the horror movie, The Boogeyman's path to box office success could begin after doubling its budget.

The good news is that The Boogeyman should be in a good position to achieve that figure. Box office projections for its opening weekend have gone between $19-26M domestically (via Box Office Pro), which means it could make back half its budget in the opening weekend alone. With The Boogeyman's reviews also skewing more positive and Stephen King himself hyping up how scary it is, there is a realistic way for the movie to be a box office hit.

Sources: Fastlane NextGen, Box Office Pro

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