Man on Fire (2004 film)

Man on Fire
A man in a suit and sunglasses walking away from a fiery blaze, his arm held out to guard a small blonde girl
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTony Scott
Screenplay byBrian Helgeland
Based onMan on Fire
1980 novel
by A. J. Quinnell
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPaul Cameron
Edited byChristian Wagner
Music byHarry Gregson-Williams
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • April 18, 2004 (2004-04-18) (Westwood, California -premiere)
  • April 23, 2004 (2004-04-23) (United States)
  • October 4, 2004 (2004-10-04) (United Kingdom)
Running time
146 minutes
CountriesUnited States[1]
United Kingdom[1]
LanguagesEnglish
Spanish
Budget$60–70 million[2][3]
Box office$130.3 million

Man on Fire is a 2004 American action thriller film directed and produced by Tony Scott, with a screenplay by Brian Helgeland and co-produced by Arnon Milchan.[4] It is based on the 1980 novel of the same name by A. J. Quinnell. The film stars Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning in lead roles, alongside Christopher Walken, Radha Mitchell, Giancarlo Giannini, Marc Anthony, Rachel Ticotin and Mickey Rourke in supporting roles. This adaptation shifts the setting from Naples, Italy, to Mexico City, diverging from the earlier 1987 film version of Quinnell's novel, which was also produced by Milchan.

The film follows a despondent, alcoholic former CIA officer-turned-bodyguard, who embarks on a violent revenge spree after a nine-year-old under his charge is kidnapped in Mexico City.

Man on Fire was released in the United States by 20th Century Fox on April 23, 2004. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for Washington's performance and the film's intense action sequences; however, it was criticized for its graphic violence and pacing. It emerged as a commercial success at the box-office, grossing $130 million worldwide against a production budget of $60–70 million. Fanning's performances earned her nominations for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and the Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film.[5] Additionally, the film received 2 nominations at the 36th NAACP Image Awards – Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Washington).[6]

  1. ^ a b "Man on Fire (2004)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  2. ^ "Man on Fire (2004) - Financial Information". The Numbers.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Man on Fire (2004) – Tony Scott". AllMovie.
  5. ^ "10th Critics' Choice Awards (2005) DigitalHit.com". www.digitalhit.com. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  6. ^ "Breaking News - Vivica A. FOX , Omar Epps, Hill Harper, Essence Atkins and Ananda Lewis Join Naacp Executives to Announce the '36th Naacp Image Awards' Nominations | TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved September 25, 2024.