WarGames
| WarGames | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Badham |
| Written by | |
| Produced by | Harold Schneider |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | William A. Fraker |
| Edited by | Tom Rolf |
| Music by | Arthur B. Rubinstein |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | MGM/UA Entertainment Company (United States) United International Pictures (international) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12 million |
| Box office | $124.6 million |
WarGames is a 1983 American techno-thriller film directed by John Badham, written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes, and starring Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood and Ally Sheedy. Broderick plays David Lightman, a young computer hacker who unwittingly accesses a United States military supercomputer programmed to simulate, predict and execute nuclear war against the Soviet Union, triggering a false alarm that threatens to start World War III.
The film premiered at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival, and was released by MGM/UA Entertainment on June 3, 1983. It was a widespread critical and commercial success, grossing $125 million worldwide against a $12 million budget. At the 56th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Original Screenplay. It also won a BAFTA Award for Best Sound.
WarGames is credited with popularizing concepts of computer hacking, information technology, and cybersecurity in wider American society. It spawned several video games, a 2008 direct-to-video sequel film, and a 2018 interactive series.