American Gangster_
"There are two sides to the American dream."
Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts.
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Prime Video
21 countries
Rakuten TV
13 countries
SkyShowtime
4 countries
Sky Go
3 countries
Now TV
2 countries
WOW
1 country
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Box office
American Gangster earned $269.8M worldwide on a $100.0M budget — a 170% return on investment.
Ridley Scott →
Year context
American Gangster was released 19 years ago in 2007.
CAST (20)
Denzel Washington
Frank Lucas
Russell Crowe
Richie Roberts
Josh Brolin
Detective Trupo
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Huey Lucas
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Nicky Barnes
Lymari Nadal
Eva
Ted Levine
Lou Toback
Armand Assante
Dominic Cattano
John Ortiz
Javier J. Rivera
John Hawkes
Freddie Spearman
RZA
Moses Jones
Yul Vazquez
Alfonso Abruzzo
Ruby Dee
Mama Lucas
Idris Elba
Tango
Carla Gugino
Laurie Roberts
Joe Morton
Charlie Williams
Common
Turner Lucas
Ritchie Coster
Joey Sadano
Jon Polito
Rossi
Kevin Corrigan
Campizi
CREW
Director
Writer
BOX OFFICE
$100.0M
Budget
$269.8M
Revenue
+170%
ROI
BLOCKBUSTER
Verdict
STUDIOS (3)
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
157 min (2h 37m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
7.6/10 (5,873 votes)
Popularity
11
Budget
$100,000,000
Box Office
$269,755,430
Profit
+$169,755,430
IMDB
Trailer
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is American Gangster about?
Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts.
How long is American Gangster?
American Gangster has a runtime of 157 minutes (2h 37m).
Who directed American Gangster?
American Gangster was directed by Ridley Scott.
Who stars in American Gangster?
The cast of American Gangster includes Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr..
How much did American Gangster make at the box office?
American Gangster earned $269,755,430 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $100,000,000.
What is the rating of American Gangster?
American Gangster has a rating of 7.6 out of 10 based on 5,873 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Drama
Crime
KEYWORDS (31)
new york city
vietnam
drug smuggling
society
gangster
drug trafficking
heroin
junkie
ghetto
nightclub
ambition
rise and fall
cop
organized crime
drug dealing
police corruption
wedding
police detective
family
surveillance
bribery
law enforcement
aftercreditsstinger
dishonesty
1960s
provocative
factual
violence
suspenseful
intense
brisk
