In 2014, eight years after Zack Snyder’s 300, the sequel 300: Rise of an Empire came along and its box office performance reveals whether the movie lived up to its predecessor’s reputation. After premiering at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2007, 300 received a standing ovation, and later earned praise for its stunning visuals. However, the film also faced intense criticism surrounding 300’s historical accuracy and political parallels. Altogether, 300 has remained both respected and controversial, leaving its sequel big shoes to fill.

300: Rise of an Empire had a solid foundation to rely on before its release, as Zack Snyder returned to write the screenplay, alongside 300 co-writer, Kurt Johnstad. 300: Rise of an Empire’s cast also saw the return of Lena Heady as Queen Gorgo and Andrew Tiernan as Ephialtes. However, certain changes put the movie at risk, including new director Noam Murro. Overall, 300: Rise of an Empire had the potential to be as successful as 300. However, its box office performance tells a story different from its forerunner.

300: Rise Of An Empire Made $337 Million Worldwide At The Box Office

$106 Million Domestically & $231 Million Internationally

300: Rise of an Empire made a total of $337 million at the box office. $106 million of those box office earnings were made domestically, while the other $231 million was accrued internationally. Generally, this is a strong box office performance. It is all the more notable considering that 300: Rise of an Empire did not have the strongest start, earning only $45 million domestically in its opening weekend. However, the sequel eventually rose to the occasion, generating a fairly good number for a large-scale, franchise film.

Ultimately, 300: Rise of an Empire ended up taking the number 27 spot among the highest-grossing films released in 2014. The top-grossing movies domestically of that year included Guardians of the Galaxy ($332 million), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part One ($313 million), Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($259 million), and The LEGO Movie ($257 million). Regarding critical and audience responses, 300: Rise of an Empire earned 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, with some critics openly calling it a step down from 2006’s 300.

How Much Was 300: Rise Of An Empire’s Budget

300: Rise Of An Empire Had $110 Million Budget

300: Rise of an Empire’s box office performance is more meaningful when considering the movie’s budget. For a movie to be truly successful, it must earn back what it spent and earn extra. The general rule of thumb is a movie should make 2.5 times its production budget to account for the marketing budget and turn a profit. Luckily, 300: Rise of an Empire hit this mark. The 300 sequel cost $110 million to make and earned $337 million at the box office. Therefore, the sequel broke even with extra money to spare.

Overall, 300: Rise of an Empire’s budget, while large, was still modest enough to allow its global haul to more than make up for what was spent. An epic film can make a significant amount of money, but if it doesn’t break even, then it’s a failure. However, because 300: Rise of the Empire managed to far exceed its budget, it can be considered a box office success, regardless of how it compares to 300.

How 300: Rise Of An Empire’s Budget & Box Office Compares To The Original Movie

300: Rise Of An Empire Made Less Than 300

Despite doing well at the box office, 300: Rise of an Empire didn’t live up to 300. The original movie made $456 million at the box office, earning $119 million more than its sequel. At the domestic box office, 300 earned $210 million, while it brought in $245 million internationally. Opening weekend saw $70 million in earnings. The big difference between 300 and 300: Rise of an Empire lies in the films’ domestic earnings. Where 300’s domestic box office was strong, on par with its international earnings and impressive in the opening weekend, 300: Rise of an Empire fell flat.

It is unclear why 300: Rise of an Empire could not reach the same heights at the domestic box office. Some potential reasons could be the long gap between movies or Zack Snyder not directing 300: Rise of an Empire. It could also be that the movie’s negative reviews turned people away from seeing it. 2014 was also just getting into the height of the superhero era dominated by the MCU, and the 300 sequel would have been down on the priority list for most viewers. Either way, 300: Rise of an Empire was unable to match 300 at the box office or with critics.