The Elephant Man backdrop
DRAMA . 1980 . 2h 4m . English . 8.0/10

The Elephant Man_

"A true story of courage and human dignity."

A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity. Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London.

Starring Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft
Box Office $26.0M
8.0/10
Rating
$26.0M
Box Office
2h 4m
Runtime
1980
Year
MASSIVE HIT
+420% ROI
Profitability
Updated Feb 16, 2026
The Elephant Man poster
A true story of courage and human dignity.

A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity. Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London.

WHERE TO WATCH

MUBI M MUBI 8 countries
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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Box office
The Elephant Man earned $26.0M worldwide on a $5.0M budget — a 420% return on investment.
Cast
Anthony Hopkins stars as Frederick Treves in The Elephant Man.
Anthony Hopkins →
Year context
The Elephant Man was released 46 years ago in 1980.
The Elephant Man is a Drama, History film with a runtime of 2h 4m.

CREW

Writer
Eric Bergren

BOX OFFICE

$5.0M
Budget
$26.0M
Revenue
+420%
ROI
MASSIVE HIT
Verdict

STUDIOS (1)

Brooksfilms

AWARDS (2)

B
César Award for Best Foreign Film
WON
B
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
WON

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
124 min (2h 4m)
Language
English
Country
United States, United Kingdom
Rating
8.0/10 (3,826 votes)
Popularity
4
Budget
$5,000,000
Box Office
$26,000,000
Profit
+$21,000,000
IMDB
tt0080678
Trailer
Watch on YouTube

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is The Elephant Man about?
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity. Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London.
How long is The Elephant Man?
The Elephant Man has a runtime of 124 minutes (2h 4m).
Who stars in The Elephant Man?
The cast of The Elephant Man includes Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller.
How much did The Elephant Man make at the box office?
The Elephant Man earned $26,000,000 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $5,000,000.
What is the rating of The Elephant Man?
The Elephant Man has a rating of 8.0 out of 10 based on 3,826 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (2)

Drama History

KEYWORDS (39)

friendship escape nurse exploitation biography based on true story hospital black and white social injustice physical abuse curiosity disability sideshow dying young emotional vulnerability disfigurement birth defect deformed circus freak discrimination shame physical disability humanity physical deformity freak show freak abuse 19th century dignity social isolation human monster emotion 1800s anxiety social integration introspection psychological healing london 1880s
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