The media messed up on reporting The Marvels budget. So then, Forbes attempted to correct the record. Now, we’re here to correct it twice.
In a twist of financial revelations, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of the budget behind Disney’s upcoming venture, “The Marvels.” Contrary to earlier reports suggesting a budget on the lower spectrum for an MCU film, Forbes has now uncovered the actual figures. Well… sort of… but more on that in a moment.
According to financial documents sourced from Disney, the company invested a substantial $274.8 million into “The Marvels.” Additionally, they secured a notable $55 million subsidy from the U.K. government, ultimately totaling an expenditure of $219.8 million. However, it’s important to shed light on the fact that the journey from box office earnings to a studio’s bottom line isn’t a straight path. Before distributors and studios can start counting their earnings, they must contend with theaters taking a significant portion of the revenue, often close to half, and taxes further nibbling away at the pie.
Original UK Tax Filings
Marvel films typically don’t struggle when it comes to crossing the half-billion-dollar mark at the global box office, with a few exceptions. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” soared to a commendable $845 million this past summer. On the other hand, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” faced an uphill battle, amassing only $476 million, despite a mixed critical reception. And that’s not the first time Marvel has seen a movie perform very poorly compared to expectations.
The debate over “The Marvels'” budget sparked earlier this week when a Vanity Fair profile of director Nia DaCosta suggested a figure of around $130 million, raising eyebrows given the typical standards of MCU budgets. It seems to me that the error likely occurred from the author only taking one year of production and applying an exchange rate conversion from the UK tax filings seen above. As a result, there’s only half the number (or thereabouts) in the original report. What is so funny, however, is that now the media is reporting the new number at $274 (we actually calculate $273) and they have again made the same mistake! This time, they’ve failed to account for the fact that The Marvels didn’t cease production by the end date of the latest filing. That means there’s more money that will be reported next year, and not by a little.
As we anticipate the arrival of “The Marvels” in theaters on November 10, this financial revelation offers a glimpse into the complex financial landscape of film production and distribution, where costs, earnings, and market dynamics all play a pivotal role in the equation. It’s also a reminder of just how tricky it can be reading the news when authors remind us all that humans are fallible, messy creatures.
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