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Top 250 #111 | Nominated for 9 Oscars. Another 118 wins & 129 nominations. See moreawards

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:

Chiwetel Ejiofor ... Solomon Northup

8,4

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Ratings: 8,4/10 from 105.347 users Metascore: 97/100

Reviews: 358 user | 442 critic | 48 from Metacritic.com

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12 Years a Slave (2013) 134 min - Biography | Drama | History -

8 November 2013 (USA)

In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free

black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into

slavery.

Director: Steve McQueen

Writers: John Ridley (screenplay), Solomon Northup (basedon "Twelve Years a Slave" by)

Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael K. Williams, MichaelFassbender | See full cast and crew

16

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Dwight Henry ... Uncle Abram

Dickie Gravois ... Overseer

Bryan Batt ... Judge Turner

Ashley Dyke ... Anna

Kelsey Scott ... Anne Northup

Quvenzhan Wallis ... Margaret Northup

Cameron Zeigler ... Alonzo Northup

Tony Bentley ... Mr. Moon

Scoot McNairy ... Brown

Taran Killam ... Hamilton

Christopher Berry ... Burch

Bill Camp ... Radburn

Mister Mackey Jr. ... Randall

Chris Chalk ... Clemens

See full cast

Storyline

Based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil

War United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New

York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty (personified by a malevolent slave

owner, portrayed by Michael Fassbender), as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon

struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his

unforgettable odyssey, Solomon's chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist (Brad Pitt) will

forever alter his life. Written by Fox Searchlight

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords: sold into slavery | new york | slavery | slave | jealousy | See more

Taglines: The extraordinary true story of Solomon Northup

Genres: Biography | Drama | History

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence/cruelty, some nudity and brief sexuality | See all certifications

Parents Guide: View content advisory

Details

Official Sites: Official Facebook | Official site | See more

Country: USA | UK

Language: English

Release Date: 8 November 2013 (USA) See more

Also Known As: 12 Years a Slave See more

Filming Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA See more

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Box Office

Budget: $20.000.000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $923.715 (USA) (18 October 2013)

Gross: $49.077.220 (USA) (21 February 2014)

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Company Credits

Production Co: Regency Enterprises, River Road Entertainment, Plan B Entertainment Seemore

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro

Technical Specs

Runtime: 134 min

Sound Mix: Dolby

Color: Color

Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1

See full technical specs

Did You Know?

Trivia

On location shooting in Louisiana took only 35 days with one camera, which promptedamazed laughter from an audience of Directors Guild peers, including interviewer KathrynBigelow, for the startlingly efficient direction of Steve McQueen. See more

Goofs

In one scene there are water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), an invasive aquatic plantnative to South America, floating in the swamp. Water hyacinth were not introduced toNorth America until 1884, when they were exhibited (and subsequently released) during theWorld's Fair which took place in New Orleans. The location of the fair is now the site ofAudubon Park. See more

Quotes

Freeman: Put the least thought in your head. C'mon, now. Think of somethin'. See more

Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Wanda Sykes/Thomas Haden Church/DwightYoakam (2014) See more

Soundtracks

Trio in B-flat, D471Written by Franz SchubertArranged by Nicholas Britell and Tim FainPerformed by Tim Fain and Caitlin SullivanSee more

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Was William Ford accurately portrayed in the movie?

Q: Did Solomon's kidnappers really drug him?

Q: Was Edwin Epps really as cruel as the movie portrays?

See more (Spoiler Alert!)

User Reviews

Masterpiece.... o_o;;19 October 2013 | by carrotpie (United States) See all my reviews

so incredible.... the trailers don't do any justice to the film. it's so powerful lingering unconventional it presents so many variables to that

system one might not consider. the situations they show linger and you get the full effect of them too. you really get the sense that it is

based on an account. characters will appear and vanish. they will not have little arcs and get give the audience satisfaction. it just is what

it is. nothing is edited to bits either. this film is the work of a genius!

and about the musical selection, good lord. there are long bouts of silence and parts where it just freaks you out. it was really effective and

Getting Started | Contributor Zone

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hypnotizing. I was surprised to see Hans Zimmerman did the music. this is far beyond anything I've heard from him. Not the usual inception

foghorns or military hum drum. also a great deal of real folksongs incorporated into it. I love when films incorporate the actually used

folksongs. period pieces should be filled with music. when there were no modern devices people would sing!

people can't say that this is unrealistic either as it's an actual account. glad McQueen brought it to the public eye and in such an untethered

fashion. I'll probably watch this on repeat when it comes out. I'll have to check out McQueen's other films. haven't seen them yet for some

reason

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Message Boards

Recent Posts

Just watch Django instead Maynard777

Paul Dano completely wrong for this movie shaheen-abdouramane

Do black people get anything positive out of a movie like this? vaughnshady

Blacks should just get over it? marfrie56

Why not just free him. Bluefishtank2012

Epps carrying that little girl. crystalmora1121

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