The Air Up There
“Jimmy Dolan went to recruit a new player. What he found was a whole new ballgame.”
Synopsis
Jimmy Dolan is a college basketball coach determined to secure a major promotion. To do so, he must make a significant discovery, which leads him to travel deep into Africa in search of Saleh, a talented basketball prodigy he saw in a home video. Saleh, however, is the son of a tribal chief and has important obligations at home, as his tribe's land is under threat from a mining company that also fields a top-tier basketball team.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 189+ 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 Tom McmurtryShot by Dick PopeScored by David NewmanDesigned by Roger HallSound by Anna BehlmerCostumes by Hope HanafinStunts by Craig Ginsberg
Box Office
1994 · 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
$21.0M
US & Canada: $21.0M — 100% of worldwide · International: $182 (0%)
Opening weekend: $5.2M — 25% of its US run.
Opening week (7-day): $6.4M — 30% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 1,507 theaters
Also known as
- Der Sprung nach obende
- Un joueur à la hauteurfr
- Che aria tira lassù?it
- (English)The Air Up There
Release dates around the world5 countries · showhide
- United StatesJan 7, 1994
- BrazilMar 11, 1994
- South AfricaMay 6, 1994
- AustraliaMay 26, 1994
- PolandJun 3, 1994
Production & Distribution
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Cast & Crew
189 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Supporting cast
34Douglas Leboyare
as Ikedo
Francis Mutei
as St. George
Gibson Gathu Mbugua
as Harimbo
Vusi Kunene
as Ntzuko
Connie Chiume
as Mrs. Urudu
John Matshikiza
as Mingori Mining Company Clerk
Ken Gampu
as Itumbo
Fanyana H Sidumo
as Lilo
Peter Khubeke
as Mimo
Salathial Maake
as Dahwi
Jomo Lewarani
as The Bodyguard
John Lesley
as Banquet Emcee
Wendell Brereton
as St. Joseph's Player #1
Falconer Abraham
as St. Joseph's Player #2
Dennis Orina
as Ruwala
Danstan Ojoo
as Sololo
Peter Kigadi
as Opozo 1
Benson Rateng
as Opozo 2
Bright Tjatji
as Winabi Boy
Ramolao Makhene
as Pawn Broker
George Owino Odhiambo
as Mingori Team
Robert Otienio Omole
as Mingori Team
Fredrick Omondi Okumu
as Mingori Team
Benjamin Iraya
as Mingori Team
Daniel Otieno Oketch
as Mingori Team
Stanley Murandah
as Mingori Team
Morris Aluanga
as Mingori Team
Zolile Mtimkulu
as Mingori Team
Solomon Mashiane
as Mingori Team
Jackson P Mkwanazi
as Mingori Team
Frans Matome Matioga
as Referee
Lincoln M Letsoalo
as Referee
Carrie Beale
as Basketball Game Fan
Regis Lemke
as Basketball Game Fan
Directors
1Writers
1Producers
7Other crew
137Karen Brookes
(as Karen Mary Brookes), as Karen Mary Brookes
Leith Ridley Combe
(as Leith Ridley), as Leith Ridley
Paul Michael Glaser
(as Paul M. Glaser), as Paul M. Glaser
Ian Crafford
additional editor
Kim Waugh
additional sound
Lon Bender
additional sound (as Lon E. Bender)
Christian Cooke Nm0177397
adr mixer
Brendan Donnison
adr voice casting
Stuart Wentzel
armourer
Teri Lin Robertson
art department coordinator
Alicia Keywan
Art Directors
Christopher Comrie
assistant accountant
Parents Guide
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