Skip to content
Contact poster
7.5 / 10(5,238 votes)IMDbPG19972h 30m$171.1M Worldwide GrossUnited States of America

Contact

“Take a journey to the heart of the universe.”

Synopsis

A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.

Play Movie

Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes

Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.

TrailerOfficial

Type: Trailer • Published 2014-07-21

Release History & Theatrical Window

World Premiere

Deauville Film Festival

Festival / Special Debut

Theatrical Premiere

July 11, 1997

Wide Cinema Exhibition

4K UHD / Blu-ray Debut

February 10, 2004

Physical Home Media

Financials & Box Office Performance

ReleasedBudget Recovered (1.9x ROI)

Production Budget

$90M

Filming & production cost

Worldwide Gross

$171.1M

Total global ticket sales

Box Office Return

1.9x

+$81.1M net gain

Theatrical Status

Budget Return

Box office tier

Budget: $90MWorldwide: $171.1M

Key Information & Fast Facts

Director
Robert Zemeckis
Screenplay & Story
James V. Hart, Michael Goldenberg
Original Score
Alan Silvestri
Original Title
Contact
Country of Origin
United States of America
Spoken Languages
English, Russian, Spanish
Runtime
2h 30m
Production Budget
$90M
Worldwide Gross
$171.1M
Production Studios
South Side Amusement Company, Warner Bros. Pictures

Creative Leadership & Key Crew

Director

Robert Zemeckis

Screenplay & Story

James V. Hart, Michael Goldenberg, Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan

Original Score & Music

Alan Silvestri

Director of Photography

Don Burgess

Film Editing

Arthur Schmidt

Producers

Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Joan Bradshaw, Lynda Obst

Literary Origin & Source Material
Novel:Carl Sagan

Department Leadership Roster

Robert Zemeckis

Robert Zemeckis

Director

James V. Hart

James V. Hart

Screenplay

Michael Goldenberg

Michael Goldenberg

Screenplay

Alan Silvestri

Alan Silvestri

Original Music Composer

Don Burgess

Don Burgess

Director of Photography

Arthur Schmidt

Arthur Schmidt

Editor

Steve Starkey

Steve Starkey

Producer

Robert Zemeckis

Robert Zemeckis

Producer

Joanna Johnston

Joanna Johnston

Costume Design

Ed Verreaux

Production Design

Ariel Velasco-Shaw

Visual Effects Supervisor

Stephen Rosenbaum

Stephen Rosenbaum

Visual Effects Supervisor

Lauren Alexandra Ritchie

Visual Effects Supervisor

Joe Matza

Visual Effects Supervisor

Kenneth Jones

Visual Effects Supervisor

Age Classification & Content Advisories

Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.

Primary: PG

PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.

International Certification Matrix

Australia (ACB)M

Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.

Germany (FSK)12

FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.

France (CNC)TP
United Kingdom (BBFC)PG

Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.

United States (MPAA)PG

Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.

Official cinematic photography and background stills for Contact.

Featured In Curated Collections

Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Contact.

Movie Collection

3566 titles

Watched Movies

Managed by TV Movie Watcher

1612 titles

2026 movies watched playlist

Here is the list of how many hours of movies that I watched in 2026 movie list here so far.

721 titles

Watched Movies

1123 titles

My Movies

Master List In Progress

13642 titles

Watched

I watch way too much but not everything till the end.

2842 titles

Similar Titles to Contact

Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling

  • 8.0
  • 6.7
  • 6.9
  • 8.0
  • 7.6
  • 8.1
  • 7.2
  • 5.7
  • 7.2
  • 7.1
  • 4.8
  • 7.0
  • 7.0
  • 5.7
  • 6.0
  • 7.1
  • 8.7
  • 4.9

More Like Contact

Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.

6.0
6.6
6.0
7.6
6.0
7.7
6.5
6.8
6.0
6.1
6.0
8.5

Frequently Asked Questions About Contact

Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.

What is Contact about?

A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.

Who directed Contact?

Contact was directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Who stars in Contact?

The principal cast of Contact includes Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt.

When was Contact released and how long is it?

Contact was released in 1997 with a total runtime of 2h 30m.

What was the box office and production budget of Contact?

Contact had a reported production budget of $90M and grossed $171.1M at the worldwide box office (1.9 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).

Who composed the musical score for Contact?

The original motion picture soundtrack for Contact was composed by Alan Silvestri.

Is Contact based on a book or true story?

Contact is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Carl Sagan".

What is the age rating and content advisory for Contact?

Contact holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: TP; GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).