Shaft
“The mob wanted Harlem back. They got Shaft...up to here.”
Synopsis
Cool Black private eye John Shaft is hired by a crime lord to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.
Part of the Shaft Collection
Stream the entire interconnected saga and experience every installment in chronological storyline order.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Shaft • 1971 • Theatrical Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2023-10-27
Top Cast
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Richard Roundtree
John Shaft
Moses Gunn
Bumpy Jonas
Charles Cioffi
Vic Androzzi
Christopher St. John
Ben Buford
Gwenn Mitchell
Ellie Moore
Lawrence Pressman
Sergeant Tom Hannon
Victor Arnold
Charlie
Sherri Brewer
Marcy
Rex Robbins
Rollie
Camille Yarbrough
Dina Greene
Margaret Warncke
Linda
Joseph Leon
Byron Leibowitz
Arnold Johnson
Cul
Dominic Barto
Patsy
George Strus
Carmen
Edmund Hashim
Lee
Drew Bundini Brown
Willy
Tommy Lane
Leroy
Release History & Theatrical Window
Detroit, Michigan
Festival / Special Debut
June 25, 1971
Wide Cinema Exhibition
March 5, 2001
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$1.1M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$12.1M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
10.77x
+$11M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Gordon Parks
- Screenplay & Story
- Ernest Tidyman, John D.F. Black
- Original Score
- J.J. Johnson, Isaac Hayes
- Original Title
- Shaft
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 40m
- Production Budget
- $1.1M
- Worldwide Gross
- $12.1M
- Production Studios
- Shaft Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Gordon Parks
Ernest Tidyman, John D.F. Black
J.J. Johnson, Isaac Hayes
Urs Furrer
Hugh A. Robertson
Joel Freeman, David Golden, Roger H. Lewis, Ernest Tidyman, Stirling Silliphant
Department Leadership Roster
Joel Freeman
Producer
David Golden
Producer
Urs Furrer
Director of Photography
Roger H. Lewis
Producer
Ernest Tidyman
Screenplay
J.J. Johnson
Original Music Composer
Hugh A. Robertson
Editor
John D.F. Black
Screenplay
Gordon Parks
Director
Isaac Hayes
Original Music Composer
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
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Shaft.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Shaft.
Movie Collection
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Movies Watched
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Shaft
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Shaft about?
Cool Black private eye John Shaft is hired by a crime lord to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.
Who directed Shaft?
Shaft was directed by Gordon Parks.
Who stars in Shaft?
The principal cast of Shaft includes Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John, Gwenn Mitchell.
When was Shaft released and how long is it?
Shaft was released in 1971 with a total runtime of 1h 40m.
What was the box office and production budget of Shaft?
Shaft had a reported production budget of $1.1M and grossed $12.1M at the worldwide box office (10.77 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Shaft?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Shaft was composed by J.J. Johnson, Isaac Hayes.
Is Shaft based on a book or true story?
Shaft is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Ernest Tidyman".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Shaft?
Shaft holds official age classifications: DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).