Payback (1999 film)

This article is about the 1999 film starring Mel Gibson. For the 1995 film by Anthony Hickox, see Payback (1995 film).
Payback
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBrian Helgeland
Screenplay by
Based onThe Hunter
by Richard Stark
Produced byBruce Davey
Starring
CinematographyEricson Core
Edited byKevin Stitt
Music by
  • Chris Boardman (theatrical cut)
  • Scott Stambler (director's cut)
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • February 5, 1999 (1999-02-05)
Running time
  • 101 minutes
  • 90 minutes (director's cut)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$90 million[2]
Box office$161.6 million[2]

Payback is a 1999 American neo-noir action thriller film[3][4] written and directed by Brian Helgeland in his directorial debut, and starring Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, Lucy Liu, Deborah Kara Unger, David Paymer and James Coburn. It is based on the novel The Hunter by Donald E. Westlake using the pseudonym Richard Stark, which had earlier been adapted into the 1967 film Point Blank.

During post-production, Helgeland was removed by Gibson and the producers, who rewrote and reshot substantial portions of the film, including a different third act and a new villain played by Kris Kristofferson. This version of the film was released by Paramount Pictures on February 5, 1999, and received mixed reviews from critics.[5]

In 2006, Helgeland issued a director's cut, entitled Payback: Straight Up, that differs substantially from the version released by the studio. This new version received a more positive reception, and is generally considered superior to the theatrical cut.[6]

  1. ^ "Payback (1999) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference BOM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Payback". Variety. 5 February 1999. Archived from the original on 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  4. ^ "Mel Gibson - His Performance In 'Payback' Still Not Getting Enough Credit". The Onion. 16 December 2010. Archived from the original on 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "The kindest cut: 14-plus movies improved by directors' cuts". The A.V. Club. June 4, 2012. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2015.