The Hunt for Red October (film)

The Hunt for Red October
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John McTiernan
Produced by	Mace Neufeld
Screenplay by	Larry Ferguson Donald E. Stewart
Based on	The Hunt for Red October 1984 novel by Tom Clancy
Starring	Sean Connery Alec Baldwin Scott Glenn James Earl Jones Sam Neill
Music by	Basil Poledouris
Cinematography	Jan de Bont
Edited by	Dennis Virkler John Wright
Production companies	Mace Neufeld Productions Nina Saxon Film Design
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	March 2, 1990 (1990-03-02) (United States)
Running time	135 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English Russian
Budget	$30 million
Box office	$200.5 million

The Hunt for Red October is a 1990 American espionage thriller film produced by Mace Neufeld, directed by John McTiernan, and starring Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, and Sam Neill. The film is based on Tom Clancy's 1984 bestselling novel of the same name.

The story is set during the late Cold War era and involves a rogue Soviet naval captain who wishes to defect to the United States with his officers and the Soviet Navy's newest and most advanced nuclear missile submarine. An American CIA analyst correctly deduces his motive and must prove his theory to the U.S. Navy before a violent confrontation between the Soviet and the American navies spirals out of control.

The film was a co-production between the motion picture studios Paramount Pictures, Mace Neufeld Productions, and Nina Saxon Film Design. Theatrically, it was commercially distributed by Paramount Pictures and by the Paramount Home Entertainment division for home media markets. Following its wide theatrical release, the film was nominated and won a number of accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing in 1991. On June 12, 1990, the original soundtrack composed and orchestrated by Basil Poledouris was released by MCA Records.