How much money did Napoleon Dynamite gross at the box office? Thisis nothing short of impressive, considering how cheaply it was made. Napoleon becomes friends with two students at his school: Deb, a shy girl who runs various small businesses to raise money for college, and Pedro, a bold yet calm transfer student from Juarez, Mexico. Jon Heder was cast for the lead role of this film. Filmmakers shot the entire film on location in Preston, Idaho, on a budget of just $400,000. I danced three times and they took the best pieces from each of those. How much was the budget for Napoleon Dynamite? For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com. And then when Im throwing food at the llama, I was just laughing, I was actually throwing food at the llama, and we cut that out because there was not a clean shot.. In fact, even 16 years later . That took us by surprise. Because Gries is a vegetarian in real life. [27], In May 2012, Fox went to trial after failing to win a summary judgment on the case. Its safe to say that no one was prepared for the movie to gross $40,000,000 in the United States, but thats exactly what happened. The Film; Napoleon Dynamite completed their production with an estimated budget of $400,000 only. Heder, of course, renegotiated his contract and was able to get a percentage of . Any other film would have gotten a choreographer to work with me, Heder said. Eventually, after the film's success, he would become an iconic actor. Napoleon Dynamite quotes are certainly quotable for movie fans. Despite a very limited initial release, Napoleon Dynamite was a commercial success. The story of Napoleon Dynamite is definitely one of a surprise hit. He then asks Deb, who gladly accepts. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Next was the overall box office champ, I, Robot with a $15,257 average in 3,420 theatres. . A cheap, cheesy, low budget, Napoleon Dynamite scene my cousins and I made a couple summers back. This, naturally, made news and it inspired younger filmmakers to chase their dreams. While Tae Guik Gi: The Brotherhood of War missed $10,000 over the 3-day weekend, it managed $12,532 per theatre once Monday was taken into account. Heder never opted to discuss the details of this arrangements or his final earnings, but what we do know is that he was earning more in his next films even if he played smaller roles. It was like, 'Are people going to get this? "[40] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film one-and-a-half stars, writing that he felt that "the movie makes no attempt to make [Napoleon] likable" and that it contained "a kind of studied stupidity that sometimes passes as humor". But they were like, No, Jon, just figure it out. This week's list of new DVD and Blu-rays includes a couple of first run releases, but neither are really must haves. Rico tells embarrassing stories about Napoleon to evoke sympathy from Trisha's mother, who buys his wares and forces Trisha to reluctantly accept Napoleon's invitation. Mark Hofmann; Date: October 15, 1985: Heder was 27 and Ramirez was 31 when the movie was filmed. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. [23][24][25], Costello believes that Hess got the name from him, whether directly or indirectly. ' Majorina was thrilled and headed to a store to buy as many Jamiroquai albums as possible.. An unlikely friendship with new kid Pedro pushes Napoleon out of his comfort zone as he puts his all into getting Pedro elected class president, running against the popular and mean Summer. The film was written by Jon and Jerusha Hess, and directed by Jared Hess. As such, the film wasnt able to afford massive stars. They are in fact a hybrid cross between a male lion and a tigress and there are currently two ligers in a zoo in South Africa. 1 How much was the budget for Napoleon Dynamite? The off-beat 2004 comedy has become a cult classic in the years since it was released. (Note: they are not capable of performing magic). Objects like plates of food had the credits written in condiments, while other objects like a Lemonheads box or a tube of ChapStick had the credits printed on them. Paranormal Activity. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". After his grandmother is injured in an accident, his life is made even worse when his strangely nostalgic uncle, Rico, shows up to keep an eye on him. On paper, Napoleon Dynamite doesn't gross $46 million, spawn a moon boot revival, and prompt the sale of thousands of 'Vote for Pedro' t-shirts. Most of the smaller towns in the Rocky-mountian west are predominantly Mormon. More To call Million Dollar Baby's debut on the home market a knockout is very apt. A 'Napoleon Dynamite 2' may not happen immediately, but there is an animated series. Peluca made its own waves, winning rave reviews at the 2003 Slamdance Film Festival, a spinoff from Sundance.But before Peluca was even finished, Jared had already set to work with his wife, Jerusha Demke Hess (BA '10), writing a feature-length version, which he titled Napoleon Dynamite after a guy he met on his mission in Chicago.. And, to take a line from Hess's movie, all of his wildest . So we reshot, but they're now intermixed, so if you look there are like three different dudes' hands (our producers are in there too). This helped the box office remain relatively flat from last weekend, down just 1.3% from last weekend, hardly worth noting. However, after the movie began its successful run in theaters across the nation, he was able to renegotiate for a percentage of the film's profits, and "They went a little bit higher.". Everything leads up to this. I listen to hip-hop, dude. It is no secret that Napoleon Dynamite was shot for just about as little money as possible $400,000, according to Box Office Mojo. AsThe Hollywood Reporter reports, the producers believed they were not being paid their fair share of the royalties for the film. He gets up there, and it's quiet: no reaction from the audience. Napoleon Dynamite: Yes, like 50 of 'em! Even though the film did wind up being a success at the box office, Heder himself barely made enough money to cover some basic bills. After he starts running down the road, he stops to look at his watch and the time and date says 5:54 p.m., Monday, 7/21. It seems like everywhere you went, someone was wearing a Vote for Pedro shirt or someone was outright quoting the movie in a conversation. Most of the situations in the movie are loosely based on the life of Jared Hess. It is also said that the film is loosely based on the life of Jared Hess. The trial began on June 19, 2012. Of course, the entire project was destined to fail or succeed on the strength of its title character, Napoleon Dynamite, played to perfection by Jon Heder. A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home. So I just winged it. They were the real deal. Rex: According to IMDB, Jack Black almost played the role of Rex, who taught both Napoleon and Kip his Rex Kwan Do moves. They kept trying to attack my cousins, what the heck would you do in a situation like that? '"[8], Hess describes the film as being "so autobiographical". We shot it in 23 days, so we were moving very, very fast; I just didn't have a lot of film to be able to do a lot of takes. Its pretty cool to see that someone he went to college with had such huge aspirations, despite having such a little budget. Seriously, you're bruising my neckmeat! The movie starred Kevin Costner as a sort of evolved fish man who helps save a kidnapped girl named Enola, played by Majorino, who had a mysterious tattoo on her back that, for some unexplained. Napoleon Dynamite. More Another slow week with little in the way of top-notch DVD releases. The film's . Gone with the Wind (Budget: $3.9 million; Revenue: $390 million): 4,906.73% 16. Napoleon Dynamite was one of the most unlikely hit films of 2004 (or any other year, really). On June 9, 2014, the film was screened at Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles to celebrate its 10th anniversary. [18] Ruell, who played Kip, suggested the idea of the title sequence. A follow-up article fromThe Hollywood Reporter goes on to explain that the case hinged on very technical details in the definition of movie profits, and a judge sided with Foxs definition which ultimately cost the producers quite a bit. Director Jared Hess Writers Jared Hess Jerusha Hess Stars Jon Heder Efren Ramirez Jon Gries See production, box office & company info Watch on HBO Max The film was extremely low-budget with most of the cast consisting of the creators' own family and friends. And then we got the rights to Jamiroquai. ("Napoleon Dynamite," "Super Size Me" and "Paranormal Activity" are all low-budget examples.) So is True Detective: Season One on DVD or Blu-ray. But it's definitely not for everyone you have to back off and understand the mood and general feel of the movie before you have the context to find the actions of the characters funny. [32], Despite a very limited initial release, Napoleon Dynamite was a commercial success. It is also a lot larger than normal with a record number of Spotlight reviews (23 in all, or 30 if you count individual movies). So we danced to three different songs. Napoleon's been this loser. That film is the DVD Pick of the Week. [60], The success of Napoleon Dynamite led to other films set in small towns, such as Little Miss Sunshine and Juno, which would have similar critical, popular, and financial success. Even though the film did wind up being a success at the box office, Heder himself barely made enough money to cover some basic bills. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Our solid understanding of the challenges our customers face allow us to provide a customized service that gives every client the products they need for a successful operation. And I think that was half our budget. The time and date displayed is 5:40 p.m., Thursday 7/17. IDAHO FALLS The man who played Lyle in the smash hit "Napoleon Dynamite" died Friday at the age of 92. . His scheme ends after his sales pitch to the wife of the town's martial arts instructor, Rex, goes awry: Rex assaults Rico after unexpectedly arriving during his demonstration of the breast-enhancement product. MTV pushed the film hard and it worked, as the film earned more than $40 million starting in limited release. [15] Much of the technology in the film is also archaic; Napoleon uses a VCR and Walkman cassette player, Kip connects to the Internet via a pay-per-minute dial-up connection and Uncle Rico drives a 1975 Dodge Tradesman. The best of the bunch is Extras - The Complete Second Season, but I'm a little worried about the inside nature of the humor. The two factions put up flyers and hand out trinkets to students to attract voters. The quotable comedy film written and directed by Preston native Jared Hess became a surprise hit, earning $46.1 million at the box office on a budget of only $400,000. We were like "WHAT?!". That was the most money Hess and the "Napoleon" crew had ever seen, and some Hollywood circles wondered if the price tag was too high for a film as strange as this one. If you dont have a big name actor to work with, after shooting is done and everything is wrapped up, you enter film festivals. Although the character is referred to as Seth in that film, he has the same unmistakable persona that became a national phenomenon just a few years later. "[38], Michael Atkinson of The Village Voice praised the film as "an epic, magisterially observed pastiche on all-American geekhood, flooring the competition with a petulant shove. (They may have forgotten to change the date on the watch -- how many school dances are in July?) Why? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. So even if Jon Heder agreed to getting paid $1,000 for acting in Napoleon dynamite, he definitely earned more than the measly $1,000 that is being discussed. . The best release of the week is, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist on DVD or Blu-ray, but especially the Blu-ray, which is worth the upgrade. 400,000 USD Napoleon Dynamite/Budget. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Summer gives a speech before the student body on election day, and then presents a dance skit to "Larger than Life" by the Backstreet Boys with a school club. Don: Hey, Napoleon. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. A lot of time has passed since the film first took over, and there are still people that enjoy watching the film to this day. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Xander Raith. Copyright 2023 WisdomAnswer | All rights reserved. "[19], The dance was spontaneously improvised by Heder, with some choreography help from Tina Majorino, and additional moves taken from Saturday Night Fever, Michael Jackson, and Soul Train. [11] Heder was paid $1,000 for starring in the film, but successfully negotiated to receive more after the film became a runaway success. For many people, Napoleon Dynamite will always be considered the quirky little film that wound up becoming a cult classic and taking pop culture by storm. In 2004, Napoleon Dynamite was a small independent film that earned buzz at the Sundance Film Festival and was picked up by MTV films. Pedro becomes the class president, Kip and LaFawnduh leave on a bus for Michigan, Rico reunites with his estranged girlfriend, Grandma returns from the hospital, and Napoleon and Deb reconcile and play tetherball. The Movie Sahara was Plagued with Production Problems that, Zoe Saldana is the Only Person to Appear in Two Movies. . When the film rights were sold to a, In 2005, the film itself an MTV Films production won three, The 2004 Film Discovery Jury Award for Best Feature, April 2005, the Idaho Legislature approved a resolution commending the filmmakers for producing, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 02:16. Kip's girlfriend, LaFawnduh, arrives from Detroit and gives him an urban makeover, outfitting him in hip-hop regalia. That was Due to technical difficulties, late deliveries, and some misfiled DVDs, this week's list is a little later than normal (but it's still Tuesday, so it's not technically late). That said, it is still worth picking up, especially if you are the kind of person into movies enough to check out box office numbers, and I think that includes most people reading this column right now. "[26], On August 30, 2011, Napoleon Pictures filed a lawsuit against Fox Searchlight for $10 million for underreporting royalties and taking improper revenue deductions. If you've seen th. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (June 18, 2004), "NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Film)". More Every week films get a second chance at success from the home market; or, in some cases, a first chance at success. They finally earned about $46 million in gross worldwide sales. He renegotiated his salary after the film went on to make more than $46 million. Did Jon Heder Only Make $1,000 For 'Napoleon Dynamite'? That's the whole theme of the movie. Rico, a middle-aged and flirtatious former high-school athlete who lives in a conversion van, treats Napoleon like a child. "Napoleon Dynamite" was the breakout hit of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, where it was sold to Fox Searchlight for nearly $5 million. He takes advantage of the visit to team up with Kip in a get-rich-quick scheme by selling items door-to-door. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Compare this performance with other movies. . Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Welcome to the droll house: American geekhood finds a new icon in a clueless Idaho teen", "A Nerdy Nobody of a Hero Who Proves to Be Napoleonic", "The 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years: Here's our full list! For the television series based on the film, see. We were both like, That is sweet dance music. When Napoleon is waiting in the van for Uncle Rico to take him to the dance, he looks at his watch. Is it working? Perhaps too apt. These are some of the best quotes from the American comedy Napoleon Dynamite as determined by you and your votes. The positive word-of-mouth from fans really opened things up for Napoleon Dynamite, and once it caught on, it stayed around for quite a while. I liked to mess around sometimes in front of friends and dance. His "Ricks College" t-shirt is a dead give away. [61], This article is about the film. How much money did Jon Heder make from Napoleon Dynamite? What was the budget for Napoleon Dynamite? Actress Katie Featherston, star of the film "Paranormal Activity" poses at the US Weekly Fall Hot Hollywood Issue party in . For example: Tetherball Tournament, Tater Tot Eating Contest, Moon Boot Dance, Impersonation, Look-A-Like Contest, Football Throwing Contest and more. The clues are everywhere. (Source: Looper). When the film began to gain more traction and profit, Heder was able to renegotiate for a percentage of the films profit. Napoleon Dynamite Party Ideas: My party budget isn't endless (shocking, right?) All times AEDT (GMT +11). How do you I stop my TV from turning off at a time dish? English. . 10. Domestic gross $107.6 million. Napoleon Dynamite did not have a large budget, and Heder was certainly not a big name, so he was paid just $1,000 dollars for his role in the film. ", "In 'Napoleon Dynamite,' Nerdity Without Shame", "Costello Adamant Napoleon Dynamite Was His Idea", "Fox Stands Trial in $10 Million 'Napoleon Dynamite' Case", "20 Pieces of Trivia We Learned at the 'Napoleon Dynamite' 10th Anniversary Screening", "From Tina to Tots: Catch Up with the Cast of Napoleon Dynamite 10 Years Later", "Napoleon Dynamite: 10th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Review", "Geek Tycoon: 'Napoleon' Is Cool With Retailers", "Revenge of the (Idaho) nerd in 'Napoleon Dynamite', "Deadpan Walking. On metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source,.! Dynamite completed their production with an estimated napoleon dynamite budget of just $ 400,000 finally earned about $ million... 18, 2004 ), `` Napoleon Dynamite was a commercial success Hess the. 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