Milk
“Never blend in.”
Synopsis
The true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man ever elected to public office. In San Francisco in the late 1970s, Harvey Milk becomes an activist for gay rights and inspires others to join him in his fight for equal rights that should be available to all Americans.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2017-03-30
Top Cast
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Sean Penn
Harvey Milk
Emile Hirsch
Cleve Jones
Josh Brolin
Dan White
Diego Luna
Jack Lira
James Franco
Scott Smith
Alison Pill
Anne Kronenberg
Victor Garber
Mayor Moscone
Denis O'Hare
John Briggs
Joseph Cross
Dick Pabich
Stephen Spinella
Rick Stokes
Boyd Holbrook
Denton Smith
Lucas Grabeel
Danny Nicoletta
Jeff Koons
Art Agnos
Brent Corrigan
Telephone Tree #3
Dave Franco
Telephone Tree #5
Elias McConnell
Telephone Tree #8
Ashlee Temple
Dianne Feinstein
Brandon Boyce
Jim Rivaldo
Release History & Theatrical Window
Berlin International Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
November 26, 2008
Wide Cinema Exhibition
March 10, 2009
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$20M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$54.6M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
2.73x
+$34.6M net gain
Theatrical Status
Profitable
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Gus Van Sant
- Screenplay & Story
- Dustin Lance Black
- Original Score
- Danny Elfman
- Original Title
- Milk
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 8m
- Production Budget
- $20M
- Worldwide Gross
- $54.6M
- Production Studios
- Focus Features, Axon Films, Groundswell Productions, Jinks/Cohen Company
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Gus Van Sant
Dustin Lance Black
Danny Elfman
Harris Savides
Elliot Graham
Bruce Cohen, Dustin Lance Black, Barbara A. Hall, William Horberg, Michael London
Department Leadership Roster
Gus Van Sant
Director
Bruce Cohen
Producer
Harris Savides
Director of Photography
Elliot Graham
Editor
Dustin Lance Black
Writer
Syd Dutton
Visual Effects Supervisor
Bill Taylor
Visual Effects Supervisor
Chel White
Visual Effects Supervisor
Danny Glicker
Costume Design
Dan Jinks
Producer
Danny Elfman
Original Music Composer
Bill Groom
Production Design
Eric D. Christensen
Visual Effects Supervisor
Rocky Capella
Stunt Coordinator
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Mature Accompanied — Restricted to persons 15 and older.
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Milk.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Milk.
Favorite Actors
LGBTQ+
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Frequently Asked Questions About Milk
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Milk about?
The true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man ever elected to public office. In San Francisco in the late 1970s, Harvey Milk becomes an activist for gay rights and inspires others to join him in his fight for equal rights that should be available to all Americans.
Who directed Milk?
Milk was directed by Gus Van Sant.
Who stars in Milk?
The principal cast of Milk includes Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco.
When was Milk released and how long is it?
Milk was released in 2008 with a total runtime of 2h 8m.
What was the box office and production budget of Milk?
Milk had a reported production budget of $20M and grossed $54.6M at the worldwide box office (2.73 return on budget, classified as a commercial hit).
Who composed the musical score for Milk?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Milk was composed by Danny Elfman.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Milk?
Milk holds official age classifications: AU: MA15+ (Mature Accompanied — Restricted to persons 15 and older.); DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: 12 (Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.); GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).