Amistad
When enslaved Africans seize control of the Spanish ship Amistad, a determined lawyer and a former slave must battle the U.S. legal system to secure their freedom amid a nation divided over justice and property.
“Freedom is not given. It is our right at birth. But there are moments when it must be taken.”
Synopsis
In 1839, the slave ship *Amistad* departed from Cuba for America. During the voyage, Cinque led the enslaved passengers in an unprecedented revolt. The captives were later imprisoned in Connecticut, and their fate sparked intense debate. Freed slave Theodore Joadson sought to have Cinque and the others exonerated and enlisted property lawyer Roger Baldwin to assist in their defense. John Quincy Adams eventually joined the effort as an ally.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 359+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Michael KahnShot by Janusz KaminskiScored by John WilliamsDesigned by Rick CarterSound by Anna BehlmerCostumes by Ruth E CarterStunts by M James ArnettVFX by Jill Brooks
Box Office
1997 · Box office
⚖️ Fell short of break-even — grossed 1.2× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$44.2M
Opening weekend: $4.6M — 10% of its US run. It had legs — it kept earning long after opening weekend.
Also known as
- Amistad - Das Sklavenschiffde
- (Bulgarian)Амистад
Release dates around the world3 countries · showhide
- United StatesDec 4, 1997
- SwedenFeb 4, 1998
- South KoreaFeb 14, 1998
Companies
Community tags
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Cast & Crew
359 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Djimon Hounsou
as Cinque
Matthew Mcconaughey
as Roger Sherman Baldwin
Anthony Hopkins
as John Quincy Adams
Morgan Freeman
as Theodore Joadson
Nigel Hawthorne
as Martin Van Buren
David Paymer
as Secretary John Forsyth
Pete Postlethwaite
as Holabird
Stellan Skarsgard
as Tappan
Razaaq Adoti
as Yamba
Abu Bakaar Fofanah
as Fala
Anna Paquin
as Queen Isabella
Tomas Milian
as Calderon
Supporting cast
131Chiwetel Ejiofor
as Ensign Covey
Derrick N Ashong
as Buakei
Geno Silva
as Ruiz
John Ortiz
as Montes
Ralph Brown
as Lieutenant Gedney
Darren E Burrows
as Lieutenant Meade
Allan Rich
as Judge Juttson
Paul Guilfoyle
as Attorney
Peter Firth
as Captain Fitzgerald
Xander Berkeley
as Hammond
Jeremy Northam
as Judge Coglin
Arliss Howard
as John C. Calhoun
Willie Amakye
as Folowa - Amistad African
Luc Assogba
as Gbatui - Amistad African
Mariah Campbell
as Masery - Amistad African
Habib Conteh
as Bai - Amistad African
Stephen Conteh
as Morlai - Amistad African
Monguehy Fanzy
as Fabanna - Amistad African
Jimmy Fotso
as Kwong - Amistad African
Adekunle Ilori
as Kahei - Amistad African
Sheriff Kargbo
as Almamy - Amistad African
Saye Lah
as Kessebe - Amistad African
Sylvestre Massaquoi
as Santigiie - Amistad African
Samson Odede
as Kpona - Amistad African
Chike Okpala
as Sorie - Amistad African
Willie Onafesso
as Jina - Amistad African
Samuel Pieh
as Suuleh - Amistad African
Lansana Sawi
as Morlu - Amistad African
Abu Sidique
as Tsukama - Amistad African
El Hadj Malik Sow
as Golabu - Amistad African
Lamine Thiam
as Mahmud - Amistad African
Austin Pendleton
as Professor Gibbs
Daniel Von Bargen
as Warden Pendleton
Rusty Schwimmer
as Mrs. Pendleton
Pedro Armendariz Jr
as General Espatero
Frank T Wells
as Crier
Michael Massee
as Prison Guard
Roy Cooper
as Pickney
Jake Weber
as Mr. Wright
Victor Rivers
as Captain Ferrar
Joseph Kosseh
as Birmaja
Steve Passewe
as Cinque's In-Law
Sherly Acosta Williams
as Cinque's Wife
Matt Sarles
as Young Aide
George Gerdes
as Marshal
Gerald R Molen
as Magistrate
Kevin J O Connor
as Missionary
Robert Walsh
as Guardsman
Sean Mcguirk
as Courier
Tony Owen
as Farmer
William Young
as Businessman
Michael Riley
as British Officer
Leon Singer
as Don Pablo
Castulo Guerra
as Spanish Priest
Harry Groener
as Tecora Captain
Hawthorne James
as Creole Cook
Ingrid Walters
as Woman Overboard with Baby
Harry A Blackmun
as Associate Justice Joseph Story
Curtis Shields
as Bassie - Additional Amistad African
Carlos Spivey
as Chike - Additional Amistad African
Charles Udoma
as Kessebe - Additional Amistad African
Andrew L Josiah
as Tamba - Additional Amistad African
Tony Onafesso
as Baa - Additional Amistad African
Peter Mansaray
as Kapr - Additional Amistad African
Clarence Mobley
as Kenei - Additional Amistad African
Brian Macon
as Yauai - Additional Amistad African
Edward Appiah
as Followolo - Additional Amistad African
Denver Dowridge
as Kpau - Additional Amistad African
Paul Mwakutuya
as Sessi - Additional Amistad African
Rory Burton
as Vakina - Additional Amistad African
Samuel Orekhio
as Fawni - Additional Amistad African
Omo Lara Tosin
as Kula - Additional Amistad African
Ransford Thomas
as Alkali - Additional Amistad African
Juliette Darko
as Teme - Additional Amistad African
Isaac Mayanja
as Sanpha - Additional Amistad African
Charlean Isata Bangalie
as Margru - Additional Amistad African
Roosevelt Flenoury
as Njaooni - Additional Amistad African
M S Kaleiwo
as Kaleiwo - Additional Amistad African
Tesfay Yohannes
as Amistad African Extra
George Kamara
as Amistad African Extra
Abdul Fatai Balogun
as Amistad African Extra
Yaya Sissoko
as Amistad African Extra
Amadou Traore
as Amistad African Extra
Marlon Francis
as Amistad African Extra
Bundu Kamara
as Amistad African Extra
James Moses
as Amistad African Extra
Daniel Reid
as Amistad African Extra
Seydou Coulibaly
as Amistad African Extra
Lawal Tajudeen
as Amistad African Extra
Lester Mombelly
as Amistad African Extra
Ibrahim Sesay
as Amistad African Extra
Jeremy Shelton
as Amistad African Extra
Andrew Shoemo
as Amistad African Extra
Prince Coke
as Amistad African Extra
Ahmed Bangura
as Amistad African Extra
Bernard Singleton
as Amistad African Extra
Desere Mondon
as Amistad African Extra
Baboucar Jobe
as Amistad African Extra
Jon Amirkhan
as Amistad broken neck crewman
Christopher Annino
as Blacksmith
John D Bair
as Senator
Susan Bergeron
as Tyler Speech Attendee
Paul Berlier
as Sargeant of the Guard
Eric Bruno Borgman
as First Jury Juror
Luis Cabrera
as Spanish Guard
Craig Calman
as Abolitionist
Kimstacy Carter
as Tecora Slave
Lisa Cavanaugh
as Prostitute
Leonard Clifton
as Slave
Al Conti
as Defense Attorney
Alex Daunis
as Clerk of Supreme Court
Nino Del Padre
as Court Witness
Johnny Egan
as Judge Coglin
Anita Elsbree
as Singing Puritan Missionary
Chris Fagan
as Villager
Lawrence Gaughan
as Spaniard
Morgan Hobart
as Courtroom Spectator
Nick King
as Villager
Tommy Lynch
as Slave Trader
Ryan March
as Remorseful Young Slave Owner
Luis Munoz
as Spanish Slave Guard
Ungenita Prevost
as Tecora Slave
Russell J Ramos
as Statesman
Glendon Rich
as Slave, Abolishionist
Lawrence Ryan
as John Tyler
Kevin M Simon
as Abolishionist
Daniel Sutton
as Union Soldier
John H Tobin
as Supreme Court Reporter
Ted Winship
as Aristocrat
Zanne Winship
as Aristocrat
Harrison Young
as Congressman
Directors
2Writers
1Producers
20Bob Cooper
co-executive producer (as Robert Cooper)
Bonnie Curtis
associate producer
Colin Wilson
Producer, Producers
Debbie Allen
Producer, Producers
Edward Reynolds
the producers wish to thank (as Professor Edward Reynolds)
Glenda Dickerson
the producers wish to thank (as Professor Glenda Dickerson)
Henry Louis Gates Jr
the producers wish to thank (as Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.)
Howard Jones
the producers wish to thank (as Professor Howard Jones)
Jill Brooks
associate visual effects producer: ILM
John Hope Franklin
the producers wish to thank (as Professor John Hope Franklin)
Joseph E Harris
the producers wish to thank (as Professor Joseph E. Harris)
Laurie Macdonald
executive producer
Lerone Bennett
the producers wish to thank (as Dr. Lerone Bennett)
Leslee Feldman
the producers wish to thank: DreamWorks Casting
Lester P Monts
the producers wish to thank (as Dr. Lester P. Monts)
Paul Deason
associate producer
Steven Spielberg
Producer, Producers
Tim Shriver
co-producer
Walter F Parkes
executive producer (as Walter Parkes)
William A Owens
the producers wish to acknowledge: his book "Black Mutiny - The Revolt on the Schooner Amistad" as a major source of reference material
Other crew
199Dean Drabin
adr mixer
Steven W Bauerfeind
apprentice editor (as Steve Bauerfeind)
Keith Edemann
apprentice sound editor
Tony Fanning
Art Directors
Christopher Burian Mohr
as Chris Burian-Mohr
William James Teegarden
as Jim Teegarden
Cheryl Gibson
assistant accountant
Scott Watanabe
assistant accountant
John Berger
assistant art director
Michael Trent
assistant editor
Renton Kirk
assistant extras casting: East Coast
Alison A Taylor
assistant location manager
Parents Guide
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Where to watch
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