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IMDbPro

The Ghost Writer

  • 2010
  • PG-13
  • 2h 8m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
167K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,481
231
Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor in The Ghost Writer (2010)
A ghostwriter (McGregor) hired to complete the memoirs of a former British prime minister (Brosnan) uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.
Play trailer2:11
10 Videos
99+ Photos
CrimeDramaMystery

A ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.A ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.A ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.

  • Director
    • Roman Polanski
  • Writers
    • Robert Harris
    • Roman Polanski
  • Stars
    • Ewan McGregor
    • Pierce Brosnan
    • Olivia Williams
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    167K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,481
    231
    • Director
      • Roman Polanski
    • Writers
      • Robert Harris
      • Roman Polanski
    • Stars
      • Ewan McGregor
      • Pierce Brosnan
      • Olivia Williams
    • 451User reviews
    • 349Critic reviews
    • 77Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 33 wins & 57 nominations

    Videos10

    The Ghost Writer: Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:11
    Watch The Ghost Writer: Trailer #1
    "Jumping Ship" from The Ghost Writer
    Clip 1:07
    Watch "Jumping Ship" from The Ghost Writer
    "Confrontation" from The Ghost Writer
    Clip 1:24
    Watch "Confrontation" from The Ghost Writer
    The Ghost: UK (The Publisher's Office)
    Clip 3:24
    Watch The Ghost: UK (The Publisher's Office)
    The Ghost: UK (I'm Your Ghost)
    Clip 0:35
    Watch The Ghost: UK (I'm Your Ghost)
    The Ghost Writer
    Interview 0:59
    Watch The Ghost Writer
    The Ghost Writer
    Interview 0:56
    Watch The Ghost Writer
    The Ghost Writer
    Interview 0:34
    Watch The Ghost Writer
    The Ghost Writer
    Interview 1:12
    Watch The Ghost Writer
    The Ghost Writer
    Interview 0:33
    Watch The Ghost Writer

    Photos120

    Ewan McGregor in The Ghost Writer (2010)
    Ewan McGregor in The Ghost Writer (2010)
    Ewan McGregor in The Ghost Writer (2010)
    Pierce Brosnan in The Ghost Writer (2010)
    Pierce Brosnan in The Ghost Writer (2010)
    Ewan McGregor and Kim Cattrall in The Ghost Writer (2010)
    Pierce Brosnan and Olivia Williams in The Ghost Writer (2010)
    Ewan McGregor and Roman Polanski in The Ghost Writer (2010)
    Roman Polanski in The Ghost Writer (2010)
    Ewan McGregor in The Ghost Writer (2010)
    Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, and Olivia Williams in The Ghost Writer (2010)
    Ewan McGregor in The Ghost Writer (2010)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ewan McGregor
    Ewan McGregor
    • The Ghost
    Pierce Brosnan
    Pierce Brosnan
    • Adam Lang
    Olivia Williams
    Olivia Williams
    • Ruth Lang
    Jon Bernthal
    Jon Bernthal
    • Rick Ricardelli
    Tim Preece
    • Roy
    Jim Belushi
    Jim Belushi
    • John Maddox
    • (as James Belushi)
    Timothy Hutton
    Timothy Hutton
    • Sidney Kroll
    Anna Botting
    Anna Botting
    • SKY TV Newsreader
    Yvonne Tomlinson
    • Stewardess
    Milton Welsh
    Milton Welsh
    • Taxi Driver
    Alister Mazzotti
    Alister Mazzotti
    • Protection Officer #1
    Tim Faraday
    Tim Faraday
    • Barry
    Kim Cattrall
    Kim Cattrall
    • Amelia Bly
    Kate Copeland
    • Alice
    Soogi Kang
    • Dep
    Lee Hong Thay
    • Duc
    John Keogh
    John Keogh
    • Protection Officer #2
    Hans-Peter Sussner
    • Protection Officer #3
    • Director
      • Roman Polanski
    • Writers
      • Robert Harris
      • Roman Polanski
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The end title designer forgot to use punctuation when writing the end credits. This resulted in all assistants being listed as "ass designer" or "ass painter" etc.
    • Goofs
      Though the movie is set in Massachusetts, when the ticket agent at the ferry asks The Ghost for his choice of ticket type, she uses the British words "single" and "return" instead of the United States expressions "one-way" and "round-trip".
    • Quotes

      Adam Lang: Spare me the bleeding-heart bullshit! Do you know what I'd do if I was in power again? I'd have two queues at airports: one for flights where we'd done no background checks, infringed on no one's civil bloody liberties, used no intelligence gained by torture. And on the other flight we'd do everything we possibly could to make it perfectly safe. And then we'd see which plane the Rycarts of this world would put their bloody kids on! And you can put that in the book!

    • Crazy credits
      There are no opening credits. The title and cast list do not appear until after the last scene of the movie.
    • Alternate versions
      US version was cut for language to secure a PG-13 rating (the usage of the words "fuck" and "shit" was severely toned down).
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Valentine's Day/Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief/The Wolfman/Ajami (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Hatherton
      Performed by David Majzlin

      Courtesy of Toy Hanner Music (ASCAP)

    User reviews451

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    A great thriller in the tradition of Hitchcock (and Rosemary's Baby)
    This is a connoisseur's movie. It needs to be consumed slowly and deliberately to truly enjoy everything that has gone into it. Watch it carefully, there is a lot going on under the surface.

    Yes, it's a thriller, and as such parts of it are fast paced, but what it does so well is to misdirect your attention for a while before snapping you back to focus.

    There are no wasted words, nor gratuitous scenes in this movie. Just like a Hitchcock movie, the scenes are all necessary, even if they are symbolic.

    The acting is first rate, and I say that because much of the tension in the movie comes from the way the characters act, not special effects, not plot points hammered in over and over again.

    It is a very dark movie, and the darkness is nicely set off by humor and sarcasm in a few spots.
    helpful•241
    101
    • eliot_axelrod
    • Mar 8, 2010

    Top picks

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    FAQ4

    • What is "The Ghost Writer" about?
    • Is "The Ghost Writer" based on a book?
    • What happened to "The Ghost"?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 19, 2010 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Stream Ghost Writer officially on Disney+ Hotstar Indonesia
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Người Chấp Bút
    • Filming locations
      • Peenemünde, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany(as Martha's Vineyard)
    • Production companies
      • R.P. Productions
      • France 2 Cinéma
      • Studio Babelsberg
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $45,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $15,541,549
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $183,009
      • Feb 21, 2010
    • Gross worldwide
      • $60,331,447
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 8 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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