Amistad (film)

Amistad
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Steven Spielberg
Written by	David Franzoni
Produced by	Steven Spielberg Debbie Allen Colin Wilson
Starring	Morgan Freeman Nigel Hawthorne Anthony Hopkins Djimon Hounsou Matthew McConaughey David Paymer Pete Postlethwaite Stellan Skarsgård
Cinematography	Janusz Kamiński
Edited by	Michael Kahn
Music by	John Williams
Production company	HBO Pictures
Distributed by	DreamWorks Pictures
Release date	December 10, 1997 (1997-12-10)
Running time	154 minutes
Country	United States
Languages	English Mende Spanish
Budget	$39 million
Box office	$58.3 million[1]

Amistad is a 1997 American historical drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the events in 1839 aboard the Spanish slave ship La Amistad, during which Mende tribesmen abducted for the slave trade managed to gain control of their captors' ship off the coast of Cuba, and the international legal battle that followed their capture by the Washington, a U.S. revenue cutter. The case was ultimately resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1841.

Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, and Matthew McConaughey starred, along with Djimon Hounsou in his breakout role as Cinqué; Pete Postlethwaite, Nigel Hawthorne, and a then unknown Chiwetel Ejiofor appeared in supporting roles.

The film received largely positive critical reviews and grossed over $58 million worldwide.