Chi-Raq
| Chi-Raq | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Spike Lee |
| Written by |
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| Based on | Lysistrata by Aristophanes |
| Produced by | Spike Lee |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Matthew Libatique |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Terence Blanchard |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Roadside Attractions Lionsgate |
Release date |
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Running time | 127 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15 million |
| Box office | $2.7 million |
Chi-Raq (/ʃaɪˈræk/ ⓘ) is a 2015 American musical crime comedy drama film, directed and produced by Spike Lee and co-written by Lee and Kevin Willmott. Set in Chicago, the film focuses on the gang violence prevalent in neighborhoods on the city's south side, particularly the Englewood neighborhood.
The story is based on Aristophanes' Lysistrata, a classical Greek comedy play in which women withhold sex from their husbands to put an end to the Peloponnesian War. It stars Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Teyonah Parris, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, John Cusack, and Samuel L. Jackson.
It was the first film to be produced by Amazon Studios, released in select theaters on December 4, 2015, and on their video on demand service Amazon Instant Video on December 29.