Amistad
“Freedom is not given. It is our right at birth. But there are moments when it must be taken.”
In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are then held prisoner in Connecticut, and their release becomes the subject of heated debate. Freed slave Theodore Joadson wants Cinque and the others exonerated and recruits property lawyer Roger Baldwin to help his case. Eventually, John Quincy Adams also becomes an ally.
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Cast
131 people
Morgan Freeman
Theodore Joadson
Known for
Se7en
The Shawshank Redemption
Nigel Hawthorne
Martin Van Buren
Known for
Demolition Man
Tarzan
Anthony Hopkins
John Quincy Adams
Known for
Westworld
The Silence of the Lambs
Djimon Hounsou
Cinque
Known for
Blood Diamond
Captain Marvel
Matthew McConaughey
Roger Sherman Baldwin
Known for
Interstellar
Dallas Buyers Club
David Paymer
Secretary John Forsyth
Known for
Drag Me to Hell
Payback
Pete Postlethwaite
Holabird
Known for
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Inception
Stellan Skarsgård
Tappan
Known for
Chernobyl
Andor
Razaaq Adoti
Yamba
Known for
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Doom
Abu Bakaar Fofanah
Fala
No other roles listed
Anna Paquin
Queen Isabella
Known for
True Blood
X-Men: The Last Stand
Tomas Milian
Calderon
Known for
Traffic
Don't Torture a Duckling
Steven Spielberg Director · David Franzoni Writer John Williams Composer
Worldwide gross $44M · Budget $36M · United States release December 10, 1997
Box office
Budget
$36,000,000
Worldwide gross
$44,229,441
Gross vs. budget
1.2×
Production
DreamWorks Pictures
Production
HBO Films
Production
DreamWorks
Studio · Production
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English · Spanish
Release dates
United States · December 4, 1997
Premiere · Washington, D.C.
United States · December 10, 1997
Limited theatrical
United States
December 25, 1997 · Theatrical
Argentina
March 12, 1998 · Theatrical
Australia
February 19, 1998 · Theatrical
Belgium
February 25, 1998 · Theatrical
Brazil
February 20, 1998 · Theatrical
Canada
May 4, 1999 · Physical · DVD
Czechia
February 26, 1998 · Theatrical
Denmark
February 27, 1998 · Theatrical
Finland
March 6, 1998 · Theatrical
France
February 25, 1998 · Theatrical
Germany
February 25, 1998 · Theatrical
Greece
March 11, 2001 · Physical · DVD
Hong Kong SAR China
February 19, 1998 · Theatrical
Hungary
March 5, 1998 · Theatrical
Iceland
March 6, 1998 · Theatrical
Ireland
February 27, 1998 · Theatrical
Italy
March 13, 1998 · Theatrical
Japan
February 28, 1998 · Theatrical
Kuwait
April 27, 1998 · Theatrical
Mexico
March 6, 1998 · Theatrical
Netherlands
March 5, 1998 · Theatrical
June 28, 2006 · Physical · DVD
Norway
February 27, 1998 · Theatrical
Peru
February 27, 1998 · Theatrical
Philippines
March 18, 1998 · Theatrical
Poland
February 27, 1998 · Theatrical
Portugal
March 4, 1998 · Premiere
March 13, 1998 · Theatrical
Singapore
April 2, 1998 · Theatrical
Slovakia
February 26, 1998 · Theatrical
Slovenia
March 12, 1998 · Theatrical
South Korea
February 14, 1998 · Theatrical
Spain
February 20, 1998 · Theatrical
Sweden
February 4, 1998 · Premiere · Göteborg Film Festival
March 13, 1998 · Theatrical
Switzerland
February 27, 1998 · Theatrical · German
February 25, 2018 · Theatrical · French
Thailand
March 20, 1998 · Theatrical
Türkiye
February 27, 1998 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
February 27, 1998 · Theatrical
February 28, 1998 · Theatrical
Uruguay
May 22, 1998 · Theatrical
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