ⓘ Details

Movie TitleSneakers

Release DateSeptember 11, 1992

TaglineWe could tell you what it’s about. But then, of course, we’d have to kill you.

Runtime126 minutes

DirectorPhil Alden Robinson

Screenplay Written ByPhil Alden Robinson, Lawrence Lasker & Walter F. Parkes

Based OnOriginal screenplay; not based on prior source material

Is It a Remake?No. Sneakers is an original techno-caper / crime thriller.

BudgetApproximately $23 million

Box OfficeApprox. $51.4 million domestic / Approx. $105.2 million worldwide

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👥 Main Cast

Robert RedfordMartin Bishop / Martin Brice

Dan AykroydDarren “Mother” Roskow

Ben KingsleyCosmo

Mary McDonnellLiz

River PhoenixCarl Arbogast

Sidney PoitierDonald Crease

David StrathairnIrwin “Whistler” Emery

Timothy BusfieldDick Gordon

Stephen TobolowskyWerner Brandes

Eddie JonesBuddy Wallace

Donal LogueDr. Gunter Janek

James Earl JonesBernard Abbott

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🏆 Awards

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Awards Nominee — Best Motion Picture, Phil Alden Robinson

⭐ NAACP Image Awards Nominee — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture, Sidney Poitier

⭐ No major Academy Award or Golden Globe nominations were verified for the film.

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📖 Short Plot Summary

Martin Bishop, a former fugitive hacker now running a security-testing team, is forced into stealing a mysterious black box by men claiming to be from the NSA. The team soon discovers the device can break high-level encryption, making it a threat to banks, governments, and personal privacy. As Bishop’s past catches up with him, his crew must outwit both official and criminal forces to keep the technology out of dangerous hands.

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❝ Key Quotes

“There’s a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it’s not about who’s got the most bullets. It’s about who controls the information.” — Cosmo

“Too many secrets.” — Martin Bishop

“My voice is my passport. Verify me.” — Werner Brandes

“I cannot kill my friend.” — Cosmo

“I want peace on earth and goodwill toward men.” — Mother

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💡 Trivia

Director

Phil Alden Robinson directed Sneakers after Field of Dreams. AFI credits him as director and one of the three screenwriters.
Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes first developed the idea while researching WarGames.
AFI notes that Lasker and Parkes encountered the term “sneakers” as slang for high-tech security specialists paid to break into companies to find weaknesses.
The script was reportedly developed over roughly nine years, with the storyline changing repeatedly due to shifting political climates.

Cast / Casting

Robert Redford plays Martin Bishop, also known as Marty Brice, the team leader with a hidden past.
The ensemble includes Redford, Dan Aykroyd, Ben Kingsley, Mary McDonnell, River Phoenix, Sidney Poitier, and David Strathairn.
AFI notes Robinson did not initially plan to direct, but chose to do so after Universal was able to cast Robert Redford in the lead role.
James Earl Jones appears late in the film as NSA director Bernard Abbott, giving the finale an extra dose of authority.

Soundtrack / Score

The score was composed and conducted by James Horner.
The soundtrack features saxophone by Branford Marsalis.
The score gives the tech-thriller material a warmer, more emotional sound than many computer-conspiracy thrillers.
La-La Land Records later released an expanded and remastered limited-edition 2-CD version of the score.

Location

Principal photography began October 28, 1991, in Oakland, California, at the Oakland Theatre.
Filming continued in San Francisco, including waterfront and financial-district exteriors.
Martin Bishop’s consulting office and apartment were built on Stage 29 at Universal City Studios.
The “Playtronics” building was Gibraltar Savings’ former headquarters in Simi Valley, California.

Behind-The-Scenes

The film’s working title was reportedly Raiders of the Lost Computer.
Universal promoted the film with computerized press kits on floppy disk and a CompuServe tie-in, making the marketing unusually tech-forward for 1992.
The black box at the center of the plot is hidden inside an answering machine on mathematician Gunter Janek’s desk.
The film grossed approximately $105.2 million worldwide against an approximately $23 million budget.

Nostalgia

Sneakers has aged into a cult favorite because its obsession with encryption, surveillance, and information control feels even more relevant today.
The movie captures a pre-internet-mainstream moment when hacking, phone phreaking, cryptography, and surveillance still felt mysterious and analog.
The team dynamic gives the film a breezy caper feel, balancing paranoia with humor and hangout-movie charm.
For many viewers, the phrase “too many secrets” is the movie’s ultimate nerdy mic drop.

Easter Eggs

“Setec Astronomy,” the black-box code phrase, is an anagram for “Too many secrets.”
The opening credits include anagrams, including “A turnip cures Elvis” before “Universal Pictures presents.”
Another opening-credit anagram, “Fort red border,” appears before “Robert Redford.”
The title refers to “sneakers,” a term the writers learned could mean security experts hired to break into businesses and expose weaknesses.

Misc.

Sneakers was released domestically on September 11, 1992.
The film is rated PG-13 and runs 126 minutes.
Box Office Mojo lists the domestic opening at approximately $10 million and the domestic total at approximately $51.4 million.
Your 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists the episode as Episode 256, with Don rating it 3.00, Ken rating it 4.00, Jon rating it 3.75, and an overall rating of 3.58.

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