Ransom
A wealthy airline magnate must outwit a cunning NYPD detective and his dangerous crew of kidnappers as they demand a ransom for his son, forcing him to navigate a deadly game of deception and betrayal.
“Someone is going to pay.”
Synopsis
When a wealthy man's son is kidnapped, he initially works with the police but later employs an unconventional strategy to confront the criminals.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 272+ 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 Daniel P HanleyShot by Piotr SobocinskiScored by James HornerDesigned by Michael CorenblithSound by Felix AndrewCostumes by Rita Ryack
Box Office
1996 · Box office
✅ Made its money back — grossed 3.9× 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
$309.5M
US & Canada: $136.5M — 44% of worldwide · International: $173.0M (56%)
Opening weekend: $34.2M — 25% of its US run.
Opening week (7-day): $44.8M — 33% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 2,676 theaters
Full synopsis
Versions & cuts
- special edition· 139 min
Also known as
- Kopfgeld - Einer wird bezahlende
- Rescatees
- La Rançonfr
- Ransom - Il riscattoit
- (French)La rançon
Release dates around the world4 countries · showhide
- United StatesNov 1, 1996
- CanadaNov 8, 1996
- AustraliaNov 14, 1996
- New ZealandNov 21, 1996
Companies
Community tags
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Cast & Crew
272 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Mel Gibson
as Tom Mullen
Gary Sinise
as Jimmy Shaker
Rene Russo
as Kate Mullen
Brawley Nolte
as Sean Mullen
Delroy Lindo
as Agent Lonnie Hawkins
Lili Taylor
as Maris Conner
Liev Schreiber
as Clark Barnes
Donnie Wahlberg
as Cubby Barnes
Evan Handler
as Miles Roberts
Nancy Ticotin
as Agent Kimba Welch
Michael Gaston
as Agent Jack Sickler
Kevin Neil Mccready
as Agent Paul Rhodes
Supporting cast
84Paul Guilfoyle
as Wallace
Allen Bernstein
as Bob Stone
Jose Zuniga
as David Torres
Dan Hedaya
as Jackie Brown
Iraida Polanco
as Fatima
John Ortiz
as Roberto
Mike Hodge
as Man at Party
Paul Geier
as Mayor Barresi
Louisa Marie
as Woman at Party
Edward Francis Joseph
as Guest at Party
A J Benza
as Reporter Guest
Peter Anthony Tambakis
as Nelson
Tony Hoty
as Doorman
Daniel May Wong
as Agent Sam
John Short
as Agent Dewey
Ed Jupp Jr
as Technician
Stephen Oates
as NYPD SWAT
Gene Harrison
as FBI SWAT Leader
Mick O Rourke
as FBI SWAT
Henry Kingi Jr
as FBI SWAT
Roy Farfel
as FBI SWAT
Lex D Geddings
as FBI SWAT Sniper
Donna Hanover
as News Reporter
Rosanna Scotto
as News Anchor
Tony Potts
as News Anchor
John Finnerty
as Newshound
Todd Hallowell
as Don Campbell
Joe Bacino
as Cop #1
Carl S Redding
as Cop #2
James Georgiades
as Cop #3
Christian Maelen
as Cop #4
David Vadim
as Cop #5
Addie O Donnell
as Reporter
Judy Hudson
as Reporter
Mitzie Pratt
as Reporter
Lynne Redding
as Reporter
Michael Countryman
as Bank Manager
Chris Lopata
as Agent Levin
John Hartmann
as Agent Lambert
Anton Evangelista
as FBI Agent
Richard Price
as Detective #1
Joseph Badalucco Jr
as Liquor Store Cop
Dell Maara
as Liquor Store Perp
Tommy Allen
as Detective at Kidnap House
John Dorish
as Paramedic
Vince Burns
as Detective Doran
Brad Brewer
as The Crowtations
Darren Brown
as The Crowtations
Marvin Brown
as The Crowtations
Glenn King
as The Crowtations
Cheryl Howard
as Science Fair Coordinator
James Ritz
as Science Fair Judge
Anna Marie Wieder
as Woman at Science Fair
Joan D Lowry
as Mayor's Wife
Craig Castaldo
as Radioman
Teodorina Bello
as Woman on Street #1
Jane Jenkins
as Woman on Street #2
Lori Tan Chinn
as Woman on Street #3
Carl Don
as Man on Street #1
Nathaniel Freeman
as Man on Street #2
Phil Parolisi
as Man on Street #3
Rafael Osorio
as Man on Street #4
Leslie Devlin
as Newscaster
Lewis Dodley
as Newscaster
John Brian Rogers
as ND Cop #1
Jeffrey H Kaufman
as ND Cop #2
Mark Smith
as Undercover Cop
James Patrick Whalen Sr
as Detective
Kim Snyder
as Kate's Friend
Panicker Upendran
as Store Owner
Steve Axelrod
as Chief of Dectectives Lieberman
Carl Burrows
as Emergency Medical Tech.
Glenn J Cohen
as Bum Lying on Sidewalk
Gregory D Angelo
as NYC Bicyclist
Cynthia Daddona
as Central Park Rollerbladder
Brian Donahue
as NYC Policeman
Jeff Eigen
as Man at Science Fair
Todd Ellison
as Pianist in Opening Scene
Philippe Hartmann
as Security Guard
Marshall Dancing Elk Lucas
as Cop
Rawleigh Moreland
as Coroner
Christopher Tracy
as Arresting Officer
Keith Leon Williams
as Cop
Robert Bobby Z Zajonc
as Rescue Pilot
Directors
1Writers
4Producers
10Adam Schroeder
co-producer
Aldric La Auli Porter
associate producer
Bill Collage
the producers wish to thank
Brian Grazer
Producer, Producers
Kip Hagopian
Producer, Producers
Laura Mannix
the producers wish to thank
Louisa Velis
associate producer
Scott Rudin
Producer, Producers
Susan Merzbach
co-producer
Todd Hallowell
executive producer
Other crew
172Kerri Thompson
accounting assistant
Rob Walsh
accounting assistant
Tina Hong
accounting assistant
Matthew Santo
additional location assistant (uncredited)
Richard Brooks Burton
aerial camera assistant: second unit (as Richard Burton)
Susanne Coghlin
art department assistant (as Susanne M. Coghlin)
Lauren Buckley
art department coordinator (as J. Lauren Buckley)
John Kasarda
Art Director
Debra Tennenbaum
assistant costume designer
Glenn Allen
assistant editor
Guy Barresi
assistant editor
Joe Binford Jr
assistant editor
Parents Guide
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