Jungle Fever

Jungle Fever
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySpike Lee
Written bySpike Lee
Produced bySpike Lee
Starring
CinematographyErnest Dickerson
Edited bySam Pollard
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • May 16, 1991 (1991-05-16) (Cannes)
  • June 7, 1991 (1991-06-07) (United States)
Running time
132 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12.5–14 million
Box office$43.9 million

Jungle Fever is a 1991 American romantic drama film written, produced and directed by Spike Lee. Starring Lee, Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson, Lonette McKee, John Turturro, Frank Vincent, Tim Robbins, Brad Dourif, Debi Mazar, Michael Imperioli, and Anthony Quinn, with Halle Berry and Queen Latifah in their film debuts, Jungle Fever explores the beginning and end of an extramarital interracial relationship against the urban backdrop of the streets of New York City in the early 1990s. The film is dedicated to Yusef Hawkins, who died on August 23, 1989.

Jungle Fever premiered in the 44th Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 1991, and was released in the United States on June 7, 1991, by Universal Pictures. The film received positive reviews, with particular praise for Samuel L. Jackson's performance, and was also commercially successful.