<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $70 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $154.6 million </Td> </Tr> <P> The Phantom of the Opera is a 2004 British - American musical drama film based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux . It was produced and co-written by Lloyd Webber and directed by Joel Schumacher . It stars Gerard Butler in the title role, as the Phantom . Emmy Rossum as Christine Daaé, Patrick Wilson as Raoul, Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry, Minnie Driver as Carlotta Giudicelli, and Jennifer Ellison as Meg Giry . </P> <P> The film was announced in 1989 but production did not start until 2002 due to Lloyd Webber's divorce and Schumacher's busy career . It was shot entirely at Pinewood Studios, with scenery created with miniatures and computer graphics . Rossum, Wilson, and Driver had singing experience, but Butler had none and so had music lessons . The Phantom of the Opera grossed approximately $154 million worldwide, despite receiving mixed to negative reviews, which praised the visuals and acting (particularly Rossum's performance) but criticized the writing and directing . </P>

Who plays the phantom in phantom of the opera