It Could Happen to You
Honest NYPD cop Charlie Lang promises a struggling waitress half of his lottery winnings, only to win $4 million and face his avaricious wife’s ruthless scheme to steal it all. He must protect their shared fortune while keeping his word and staying true to love.
“A cop. A waitress. A lottery ticket.”
Synopsis
Charlie Lang is a kind and honest New York City police officer. After realizing he cannot afford to tip waitress Yvonne Biasi, he offers her half of the winnings from his lottery ticket. To his surprise, the ticket turns out to be a winner, valued at $4 million. Keeping his promise, Lang shares the prize money with Biasi, a decision that angers his greedy wife, Muriel. Unhappy with the arrangement, Muriel begins plotting to claim all of the money for herself.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 68+ 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 Barry MalkinShot by Caleb DeschanelScored by Carter BurwellDesigned by Bill Groom
Box Office
1994 · Box office
⚖️ Fell short of break-even — grossed 1.9× 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
$37.9M
Opening weekend: $8.1M — 21% of its US run.
Opening week (7-day): $12.0M — 32% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 1,506 theaters
Also known as
- 2 Millionen $ Trinkgeldde
- 2 Millionen Dollar Trinkgeldde
- Milliardaire malgré luifr
- Può succedere anche a teit
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Cast & Crew
68 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Nicolas Cage
as Charlie Lang
Bridget Fonda
as Yvonne Biasi
Rosie Perez
as Muriel Lang
Wendell Pierce
as Bo Williams
Isaac Hayes
as Angel Dupree
Victor Rojas
as Jesu
Seymour Cassel
as Jack Gross
Stanley Tucci
as Eddie Biasi
J E Freeman
as Sal Bontempo
Red Buttons
as Walter Zakuto
Richard Jenkins
as C. Vernon Hale
Robert Dorfman
as Walter
Supporting cast
48Ann Dowd
as Carol
Charles Busch
as Timothy
Beatrice Winde
as Judge
Lim Kay Tong
as Sun
Ginny Yang
as Mrs. Sun
Rene Rivera
as Julio
Angel David
as Esteban
Anna Lobell
as Korean Deli Customer
Claudia Shear
as Muriel's Customer
Jimmy Sabater
as Fry Cook
Merwin Goldsmith
as Bankruptcy Judge
Vincent Pastore
as Bowling Team Member
Barry Squitieri
as Bowling Team Member
Phil Stein
as Bowling Team Member
Jerome Turner
as Bowling Team Member
George J Manos
as Loto Official
Edward B Goldstein
as Candy Store Owner
Emily Deschanel
as Paint-Throwing Fur Activist
Willie Colon
as Mayor
Ranjit Chowdhry
as Mr. Patel
Pedro Pietri
as Homeless Man in Coffee Shop
Frank Pellegrino
as Water's Edge Maitre d'
Charles B Lowlicht
as Passerby at Subway Station
Jed Krascella
as Passerby at Subway Station
Bob Sheppard
as Yankee Stadium Announcer
Kathleen Mcnenny
as Plaza Desk Clerk
John Louis Fischer
as Plaza Bellhop
Kaipo Schwab
as Plaza Bellhop
Candece Tarpley
as Bo's Wife
Emena C Santiago
as Bo's Daughter (Tracy)
Angela Pietropinto
as Jury Foreperson
Mina Bern
as Muriel's Neighbour
Feiga Martinez
as Jesu's Mom
John Norman Thomas
as Mr. Muktananda
John R Russell
as Blind Beggar
Jack Cafferty
as Television Reporter
Budd Mishkin
as Television Reporter
Carl White
as Television Reporter
Cheryl Washington
as Television Reporter
Peter Jacobson
as Television Reporter
Douglas Bernstein
as Television Reporter
Phil Parolisi
as Television Reporter
Amy Atkins
as Television Reporter
Alan Muraoka
as Television Reporter
Laury Marker
as Television Reporter
Felipe Luciano
as Television Reporter
Brenda Pressley
as Television Reporter
Ellen Lancaster
as Television Reporter
Directors
1Writers
1Producers
1Other crew
5Parents Guide
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