Amistad backdrop
DRAMA . 1997 . 2h 35m . English . 7.0/10

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.

Starring Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins
Box Office $44.2M
7.0/10
Rating
$44.2M
Box Office
2h 35m
Runtime
1997
Year
BREAK EVEN
+23% ROI
Profitability
Updated Feb 16, 2026
Amistad poster
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.

WHERE TO WATCH

Paramount+ P Paramount+ 6 countries
Rakuten TV R Rakuten TV 6 countries
Netflix N Netflix 6 countries
ALL REGIONS

DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Box office
Amistad earned $44.2M worldwide on a $36.0M budget — a 23% return on investment.
Cast
Morgan Freeman stars as Theodore Joadson in Amistad.
Morgan Freeman →
Year context
Amistad was released 29 years ago in 1997.
Amistad is a Drama, History, Mystery film with a runtime of 2h 35m.

BOX OFFICE

$36.0M
Budget
$44.2M
Revenue
+23%
ROI
BREAK EVEN
Verdict

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
155 min (2h 35m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
7.0/10 (1,384 votes)
Popularity
1
Budget
$36,000,000
Box Office
$44,229,441
Profit
+$8,229,441

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Amistad about?
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.
How long is Amistad?
Amistad has a runtime of 155 minutes (2h 35m).
Who stars in Amistad?
The cast of Amistad includes Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey.
How much did Amistad make at the box office?
Amistad earned $44,229,441 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $36,000,000.
What is the rating of Amistad?
Amistad has a rating of 7.0 out of 10 based on 1,384 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (3)

Drama History Mystery
SHARE