The Pianist
“Music was his passion. Survival was his masterpiece.”
The true story of pianist Władysław Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he stays behind, works for a while as a laborer, and eventually goes into hiding in the ruins of the war-torn city.
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Cast
80 people
Adrien Brody
Władysław 'Władek' Szpilman
Known for
King Kong
Predators
Thomas Kretschmann
Captain Wilm Hosenfeld
Known for
Wanted
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Frank Finlay
Father
Known for
Lifeforce
The Key
Michal Zebrowski
Jurek
Maureen Lipman
Mother
Known for
Coronation Street
National Lampoon's European Vacation
Emilia Fox
Dorota
Known for
Pride and Prejudice
Cashback
Ed Stoppard
Henryk Szpilman
Known for
Knightfall
Brave New World
Julia Rayner
Regina Szpilman
Known for
War and Peace
Extras
Jessica Kate Meyer
Halina Szpilman
Also in
South from Granada
Rise of the Damned
Michał Żebrowski
Jurek
Known for
The Witcher
With Fire and Sword
Wanja Mues
SS Slapping Father
Known for
Yella
The Fourth State
Richard Ridings
Mr. Lipa
Known for
Peppa Pig
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Roman Polanski Director · Ronald Harwood Screenplay Władysław Szpilman Author
Worldwide gross $120M · Budget $35M · United States release December 25, 2002
Box office
Budget
$35,000,000
Worldwide gross
$120,098,945
Gross vs. budget
3.4×
Production
R.P. Productions
Production
Heritage Films
Production
Studio Babelsberg
Production
Runteam
Production
StudioCanal
Production
Telewizja Polska S.A.
Production
Agencja Produkcji Filmowej
Production
Bac Films
Production
FFA
Production
Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg (FBB)
Production
FilmFernsehFonds Bayern
Production
France · Germany · Poland · United Kingdom
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English · German · Polish · Russian
Release dates
France · May 24, 2002
Premiere · Cannes Film Festival
France · September 17, 2002
Theatrical
United States · December 25, 2002
Limited theatrical
United States
December 4, 2002 · Premiere · Los Angeles, California
March 28, 2003 · Theatrical
Australia
December 11, 2002 · Theatrical
Austria
October 25, 2002 · Digital
Brazil
October 8, 2002 · Premiere · Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival
March 7, 2003 · Theatrical
Czechia
February 6, 2003 · Theatrical
September 29, 2003 · Physical
February 8, 2024 · Limited theatrical · Digitally restored
France
June 3, 2003 · Physical · DVD
September 23, 2008 · Physical · Blu-Ray
August 24, 2011 · Digital · VOD
September 27, 2023 · Physical · 4K UHD
February 4, 2026 · TV · Canal+ Grand Écran
May 16, 2026 · TV · Canal+ Grand Écran
Germany
October 24, 2002 · Theatrical
Greece
October 18, 2002 · Theatrical
Hungary
March 20, 2003 · Digital
Ireland
January 24, 2003 · Theatrical
Israel
October 3, 2003 · Theatrical
Italy
October 25, 2002 · Theatrical
Japan
November 1, 2002 · Digital
Kazakhstan
May 30, 2003 · Theatrical
Lithuania
July 11, 2003 · Theatrical
Netherlands
November 28, 2002 · Theatrical
April 18, 2008 · Physical · DVD
May 2, 2008 · TV · Nederland 2
November 15, 2009 · Physical · Blu ray
April 18, 2024 · Theatrical · 4K restored, re-release
Poland
September 17, 2002 · Digital
Portugal
December 13, 2002 · Theatrical
Romania
May 9, 2003 · Digital
South Korea
January 1, 2003 · Theatrical
June 18, 2015 · Theatrical · Re-release
Spain
September 26, 2002 · Premiere · San Sebastián International Film Festival
October 25, 2002 · Theatrical
Sweden
August 15, 2003 · Theatrical
Switzerland
October 10, 2002 · Digital
Taiwan
June 20, 2003 · Theatrical
Türkiye
February 28, 2003 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
January 24, 2003 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.