

Brown Sugar
“When did you first fall in love with hip-hop?”
Synopsis
Sidney and Dre can attribute their lifelong friendship and the launch of their careers to one single childhood instant... witnessing the birth of hip-hop on a New York street corner. Now some 15 years later, she is a revered music critic at a national magazine and he is a successful, though unfulfilled, hip-hop record company executive. Both come to realize that their true life passions will only be fulfilled by remembering what they learned that day on the corner.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Brown Sugar Movie Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2009-01-16
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →Sanaa Lathan
Sidney 'Sid' Shaw
Taye Diggs
Andre Romulus 'Dre' Ellis
Yasiin Bey
Chris Anton 'Cav' Vichon
Nicole Ari Parker
Reese Marie Wiggam Ellis
Boris Kodjoe
Kelby Dawson
Queen Latifah
Francine
Wendell Pierce
Simon
Erik Weiner
Ren
Reggi Wyns
Ten
Melissa Martínez
Meghan
Aaliyyah Hill
Young Sidney
Marc John Jefferies
Young Dre
Angie Martinez
Self (Radio DJ)
Rosalyn Coleman
Trish Hofmann
Keith Tisdell
Richard Lawson
Venida Evans
Older Woman
Breece Wilson
Woman
Brette Taylor
Woman 2
Release History & Theatrical Window
October 5, 2002
Wide Cinema Exhibition
August 11, 2004
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$8M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$27.4M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
3.42x
+$19.4M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Rick Famuyiwa
- Screenplay & Story
- Michael Elliot, Rick Famuyiwa
- Original Score
- Robert Hurst
- Original Title
- Brown Sugar
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 49m
- Production Budget
- $8M
- Worldwide Gross
- $27.4M
- Production Studios
- Fox Searchlight Pictures, Evergreen Productions, Heller Highwater Productions, Magic Johnson Entertainment, 20th Century Fox
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Rick Famuyiwa
Michael Elliot, Rick Famuyiwa
Robert Hurst
Enrique Chediak
Dirk Westervelt
Peter Heller, Magic Johnson
Department Leadership Roster
Rick Famuyiwa
Director
Michael Elliot
Screenplay
Peter Heller
Producer
Rick Famuyiwa
Screenplay
Dirk Westervelt
Editor
Kalina Ivanov
Production Design
Robert Hurst
Original Music Composer
Enrique Chediak
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Brown Sugar.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Brown Sugar.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Brown Sugar
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Brown Sugar about?
Sidney and Dre can attribute their lifelong friendship and the launch of their careers to one single childhood instant... witnessing the birth of hip-hop on a New York street corner. Now some 15 years later, she is a revered music critic at a national magazine and he is a successful, though unfulfilled, hip-hop record company executive. Both come to realize that their true life passions will only be fulfilled by remembering what they learned that day on the corner.
Who directed Brown Sugar?
Brown Sugar was directed by Rick Famuyiwa.
Who stars in Brown Sugar?
The principal cast of Brown Sugar includes Sanaa Lathan, Taye Diggs, Yasiin Bey, Nicole Ari Parker, Boris Kodjoe.
When was Brown Sugar released and how long is it?
Brown Sugar was released in 2002 with a total runtime of 1h 49m.
What was the box office and production budget of Brown Sugar?
Brown Sugar had a reported production budget of $8M and grossed $27.4M at the worldwide box office (3.42 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Brown Sugar?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Brown Sugar was composed by Robert Hurst.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Brown Sugar?
Brown Sugar holds official age classifications: US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).




















