COST OF LIVING--”Pirates,” Roman Polanski’s swashbuckling comedy,...

COST OF LIVING--”Pirates,” Roman Polanski’s swashbuckling comedy, was budgeted originally at $27 million. A few weeks after shooting finally began in November in Tunisia, Daily Variety pegged the price at $29 million. The real budget, say insiders, is $40 million.

Sources estimated a $7-million cost alone for the pirate galleon being captained by star Walter Matthau, whose personal price tag was set at more than $1 million. Polanski, who also wrote the script, commanded a similar salary. Another $10 million was spent constructing two sound stages complete with makeup rooms, wardrobe and workshops.

Meanwhile, perhaps to save on translation fees, the multilingual Polanski is giving directions in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Polish. The Warsaw contingent of his international crew includes director of photography Witold Sovocinski and 17 stunt men.