The Damned United

The Damned United
Theatrical release poster
UK theatrical release poster
Directed byTom Hooper
Screenplay byPeter Morgan
Based onThe Damned Utd
by David Peace
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBen Smithard
Edited byMelanie Oliver
Music byRob Lane
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 27 March 2009 (2009-03-27) (United Kingdom)
  • 25 September 2009 (2009-09-25) (United States)
Running time
97 minutes[2]
CountriesUnited Kingdom
United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6.4 million[3]
Box office$4.1 million[1]

The Damned United is a 2009 sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling 2006 novel The Damned Utd – a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of Brian Clough's ill-fated tenure as football manager of Leeds United in 1974.

Originally proposed by Stephen Frears, he pulled out of the project in November 2007, and Hooper took over. Filming took place from May to July 2008. Marking the fifth collaboration between screenwriter Peter Morgan and actor Michael Sheen, who plays Clough, the film was released in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2009 and in North America on 25 September.

Despite controversy due to the film's numerous historical inaccuracies and its poor performance at the box office, The Damned United received critical acclaim upon release, with particular praise given for Sheen's performance. It received numerous award nominations including the British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, the ALFS Award for British Supporting Actor of the Year, the Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama and Best Actor in a Supporting Role and the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Feature Film Screenplay.

  1. ^ a b "The Damned United (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  2. ^ "The Damned United (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 9 March 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  3. ^ "The Damned United (2009) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 13 December 2022.