Spartacus
“They trained him to kill for their pleasure ... but they trained him a little too well”
The rebellious Thracian Spartacus, born and raised a slave, is sold to Gladiator trainer Batiatus. After weeks of being trained to kill for the arena, Spartacus turns on his owners and leads the other slaves in rebellion. As the rebels move from town to town, their numbers swell as escaped slaves join their ranks. Under the leadership of Spartacus, they make their way to southern Italy, where they will cross the sea and return to their homes.
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Cast
117 people
Kirk Douglas
Spartacus
Known for
Paths of Glory
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Laurence Olivier
Marcus Licinius Crassus
Known for
Rebecca
Jesus of Nazareth
Jean Simmons
Varinia
Known for
North and South
The Thorn Birds
Charles Laughton
Sempronius Gracchus
Known for
Witness for the Prosecution
Mutiny on the Bounty
Peter Ustinov
Lentulus Batiatus
Known for
Jesus of Nazareth
Death on the Nile
John Gavin
Julius Caesar
Known for
Psycho
Imitation of Life
Tony Curtis
Antoninus
Known for
Some Like It Hot
The Defiant Ones
Nina Foch
Helena Glabrus
Known for
The Ten Commandments
An American in Paris
John Ireland
Crixus
Known for
All the King's Men
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Herbert Lom
Tigranes Levantus
Known for
The Dead Zone
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
John Dall
Marcus Publius Glabrus
Known for
Rope
Gun Crazy
Woody Strode
Draba
Known for
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Professionals
Stanley Kubrick Director · Dalton Trumbo Screenplay Peter Ustinov Screenplay
Director
Stanley Kubrick
Screenplay
Dalton Trumbo
Screenplay
Peter Ustinov
Author
Howard Fast
Composer
Alex North
Cinematographer
Russell Metty
Editor
Robert Lawrence
Editor
Irving Lerner
Production designer
Alexander Golitzen
Production designer
Roger K. Furse
Costume designer
Bill Thomas
Costume designer
Fred Valles
Worldwide gross $60M · Budget $12M · United States release October 13, 1960
Box office
Budget
$12,000,000
Worldwide gross
$60,000,000
Gross vs. budget
5.0×
Production
Bryna Productions
Production
Universal Pictures
Production · Studio
Universal International Pictures
Production
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
United States · October 6, 1960
Premiere · DeMille Theatre (New York City, New York)
United States · October 13, 1960
Theatrical
United States
April 26, 1991 · Limited theatrical · restored version
May 3, 1991 · Limited theatrical · restored version limited expansion
Brazil
November 17, 1960 · Theatrical
December 7, 2000 · Physical · VHS / DVD
Denmark
January 21, 1962 · Theatrical
Finland
October 12, 1962 · Theatrical
France
September 14, 1961 · Theatrical
April 4, 2026 · Digital · (Director's Cut) Arte•tv
April 5, 2026 · TV · (Director's Cut) Arte
Germany
December 16, 1960 · Theatrical
April 4, 2026 · Digital · (Director's Cut) Arte•tv
April 5, 2026 · TV · (Director's Cut) Arte
Greece
September 21, 1962 · Theatrical
Hungary
July 2, 1970 · Theatrical
Ireland
February 9, 1962 · Theatrical
Italy
December 7, 1960 · Theatrical
Japan
December 15, 1960 · Theatrical
Mexico
May 30, 1962 · Theatrical
Netherlands
March 24, 1961 · Theatrical
November 30, 2000 · Physical · DVD
February 24, 2010 · TV · RTL 7
Norway
April 28, 2016 · Limited theatrical
Philippines
December 25, 1960 · Theatrical
Poland
August 1, 1971 · Theatrical
Portugal
September 12, 1961 · Theatrical
Romania
May 8, 1967 · Theatrical · cinema „Patria”
Russia
February 6, 1967 · Premiere · Moscow
March 13, 1967 · Theatrical
November 26, 1984 · Theatrical · Re-release
South Korea
January 23, 1974 · Theatrical
Spain
September 15, 1961 · Theatrical
Sweden
September 21, 1962 · Theatrical
January 1, 1982 · Physical · VHS; The release date in 1982 is not known.
May 12, 2004 · Physical · DVD
October 13, 2010 · Physical · Blu-ray
July 20, 2020 · Physical · 4K Ultra HD
United Kingdom
December 8, 1960 · Theatrical
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