Water for Elephants
A seasoned circus owner teams up with a mysterious, retired veterinarian who claims he survived the greatest circus tragedy ever, forcing them to confront buried secrets before the next disaster strikes.
“Life is the most spectacular show on earth.”
Synopsis
This Depression-era melodrama follows impetuous veterinary student Jacob Jankowski, who joins a celebrated circus as an animal caretaker, only to face a wrenching dilemma.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 404+ 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 Alan Edward BellShot by Rodrigo PrietoScored by James Newton HowardDesigned by Jack FiskCostumes by Jacqueline WestVFX by Culley Bunker
Box Office
2011 · Box office
✅ Made its money back — grossed 3.1× 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
$117.1M
US & Canada: $58.7M — 50% of worldwide · International: $58.4M (50%)
Opening weekend: $16.8M — 29% of its US run.
Opening week (7-day): $23.1M — 39% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 2,817 theaters
Full synopsis
Also known as
- Wasser für die Elefantende
- Agua para elefanteses
- De l'eau pour les éléphantsfr
- Come acqua per gli elefantiit
- Come l'acqua per gli elefantiit
- (English)Water for Elephants
- (Bulgarian)Вода за слонове
Release dates around the world4 countries · showhide
- LithuaniaApr 15, 2011
- NorwayApr 15, 2011
- SwedenApr 15, 2011
- TürkiyeApr 15, 2011
Companies
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Cast & Crew
404 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Supporting cast
182Sam Anderson
as Mr. Hyde
John Aylward
as Mr. Erwin
Brad Greenquist
as Mr. Robinson
Tim Guinee
as Diamond Joe
Donna W Scott
as Barbara
E E Bell
as Cecil the Barker
Kyle Jordan
as Russ
Aleksandra Kaniak
as Mrs. Jankowski
Ilia Volok
as Mr. Jankowski
Bruce Gray
as Proctor
Jim Jansen
as Dean Wilkins
James Keane
as Chaplain
Ivo Nandi
as Grocer
Karynn Moore
as Catherine Hale
Andrew Connolly
as Weehawken Officer
Doug Mcdougal
as Big Top Band Leader
Tracy Phillips
as Coochie Girl (Nell)
Rowan O Hara
as Stampede Girl
Tai
as Rosie
Uggie
as Queenie
Ice
as Silver Star
Major
as Rex
Sita Acevedo
as Circus Performer
Danny Castle
as Circus Performer
Michael Coronas
as Circus Performer
Aloysia Gavre
as Circus Performer
Chobi Gyorgy
as Circus Performer
David Hunt
as Circus Performer
George Landkas Coronas
as Circus Performer
Kerren Mckeeman
as Circus Performer
Rebecca Ostroff
as Circus Performer
Bianca Sapetto
as Circus Performer
Katia Sereno
as Circus Performer
Vladimir Sizov
as Circus Performer
Russ Stark
as Circus Performer
Sebastien Stella
as Circus Performer
Lee Anne Telford
as Circus Performer
Dreya Weber
as Circus Performer
Tara Ferguson
as Showgirl
Shannon Freyer
as Showgirl
Kelsey Mcnamee
as Showgirl
Molly O Neill
as Showgirl
Mark Barnett
as Sideshow
Kacie Borrowman
as Sideshow
Rob Crites
as Sideshow
Kelly Erickson
as Sideshow
Derrick Gilday
as Sideshow
Jonathan Moore
as Sideshow
Mary Newman
as Sideshow
Brad Potts
as Sideshow
Dalmicio Pueblos
as Sideshow
Larry Gomez
as Sideshow
Jackie Zane
as Sideshow
Aryiel Hartman
as Coochie Girl
Michelle Lavon
as Coochie Girl
Aaron Bloom
as Clown
Chris Grabher
as Clown
Eddie Medrano
as Clown
Stephen Simon
as Clown
Jon Weiss
as Clown
Thomas Waymouth
as Clown
Wyatt Biessel
as Big Top Band
Chris Blim
as Big Top Band
Duff Dugan
as Big Top Band
Marcus Everett
as Big Top Band
Joe Langer
as Big Top Band
Glen Mcdougal
as Big Top Band
Stefan Rollins
as Big Top Band
William Morse
as Big Top Band
Evan Silverman
as Big Top Band
Beresford Bennett
as Sideshow Band
Johnny Britt
as Sideshow Band
Garnett Brown
as Sideshow Band
George Harper
as Sideshow Band
Bobby Haynes
as Sideshow Band
Todd Cochran
as Speakeasy Jazz Band
Mike Davis
as Speakeasy Jazz Band
Keith Fiddmont
as Speakeasy Jazz Band
Wynton Mccurdy
as Speakeasy Jazz Band
Deryl Patterson
as Speakeasy Jazz Band
Kabin Thomas
as Speakeasy Jazz Band
Karl Vincent
as Speakeasy Jazz Band
Casey
as Marlena's Show Horse
Navarre
as Marlena's Show Horse
Willow
as Marlena's Show Horse
Rascal
as Paint Horse
Stanley
as Giraffe
Jack
as Buffalo
Serena
as Tiger
Blackie
as Yak
Baloney
as Yak
Frankie
as Llama
Lenny
as Llama
Ricky
as Llama
Martin
as Llama
Widowmaker
as Zebra
Ace
as Zebra
Stripes
as Zebra
Zac
as Zebra
Bonzai
as Hyena
Taureg
as Lioness
Shiva
as Lioness
Amos
as Bear
Crystal
as Black Leopard
Ivory
as Black Leopard
Athari
as Spotted Leopard
Sheena
as Spotted Leopard
Titan
as Lion Cub
Massai
as Lion Cub
Pam
as Gray Draft Horse
Peggy
as Gray Draft Horse
Andy
as Gray Draft Horse
Rugby
as Wolf
Maverick
as Wolf
Scirocco Ii
as Camel
Norton
as Camel
Micah
as Camel
Forest
as Camel
Fesnik
as Kangaroo
Tucker
as Kangaroo
Pamela Adamic
as Foxtrot Dancer
Jacob Bertrand
as Boy
Kimberly Bishop
as Rube
Damien Blackshaw
as Upper Class Rube
Max Bogner
as Coroner
Joseph Booton
as Deposit Rube
Slav Boston
as Rube
Emerson Brooks
as Officer Carson
Elle Carpenter
as Female Juggler
Nathan Clarkson
as Townie
Rick L Dean
as Rube
John R Duncan
as Audience Member
Jake Ehrlich
as Upper Class Rube
Tatum Etheridge
as Jacob's Daughter
Cathy Fielding
as Rube
Sean Galuszka
as Circus Performer
Daniel Grey
as Cornell Student
Heather Gunn
as Animal Care - Acoustic Sounds
Lauren Harper
as Speakeasy Patron
Christopher Karl Johnson
as Foxtrot Dancer in Speakeasy
Melissa Johnston
as Foxtrot Dancer
Sarah Karjian
as Speakeasy Socialite
Stephen Kearin
as Animal Vocalizations
Ryan J Kelly
as Dancer
Robert Kestler
as Circus Roustabout
Kevin Ketcham
as Benzini Lead Core Roustabout
Thor Knai
as Roustabout
Brittany Kroll
as Speakeasy Socialite
Brent Lang
as Benzini Roustabout
Tracy Lockridge
as Roustabout
Lindsay Lucas Bartlett
as Downscale Rube
Tommy Lukas
as Benzini Core Roustabout
Skyler Maxon
as Benzini Roustabout
Alan Mueting
as Smoker at Speakeasy
Stef Nico
as Rube
Fynn O Hara
as Dancer
Ashley Palmer
as Foxtrot Dancer
Ginger Pauley
as Cigarette Girl
Erin Pickett
as Circus Visitor
Julianna Piechoczek
as Fox-trotter
Barry Ratcliffe
as Foxtrot Dancer
David Angel Rivera
as Benzini Roustabout
Deborah Rombaut
as New York Socialite
Chris Rubio
as Cornell Friend of Jacob
Adrienne Rusk
as Speakeasy Socialite
Matthew C Ryan
as Benzini Roustabout
Jenny Sauer
as Fox Trot Dancer
Tim Scanlon
as Lead Circus Roustabout
Chas Scherer
as Circus Rube
Tim Schramm
as Lower Class Rube
Tyler Schuelke
as Rube
Matthew Schuster
as Rube
Zach Silverman
as Upper Class Rube
Daniel Sobieray
as Dancer
Sandra Staggs
as Dancer
Stewart Strauss
as Roustabout
Lisa Marie Summerscales
as Rube
Derek Jon Talsma
as Rube
Natalie Victoria
as Cigarette Girl
George F Watson
as Townie
Melissa Wintringham
as Townsperson
Cody Wood
as Rube
Directors
1Writers
3Producers
7Other crew
203Julie Wyloge
accounting clerk
Dana Curt
additional medic
Elida Cerda
additional medic
Mike Mckelvey
additional medic (as Michael J. McKelvey)
Rick Canelli
adr recordist
Derek Casari
adr stage engineer
Ranjani Brow
adr voice casting
Wendy Hoffman
adr voice casting
Chris Edrington
animal trainer
Jaimie Councilor
animal trainer
Todd Forsberg
animal wrangler
John Paul Ungaretti
apprentice editor
Parents Guide
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