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Action thriller

Shaft (2000): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Shaft (2000) movie poster

Shaft is a 2000 action thriller directed by John Singleton, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Christian Bale and Vanessa Williams. It brings to the screen characters from Shaft by Ernest Tidyman. It runs 1 hour 39 minutes and earned $107.6 million worldwide on a $46 million budget. Critics gave it 50 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.0/10.

IMDb rating
6.0/10
worldwide gross
$107.6M
Metascore
50
budget
$46M
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Shaft (2000) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 39m (99 min)
Director
John Singleton
Genres
Action , Thriller , Crime
Original language
English
Budget
$46M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Shaft About?

The premise of Shaft without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

In the gritty underbelly of New York City, Detective John Shaft investigates a kidnapping rooted in racial hatred, when a wealthy man's son is targeted. As a descendant of the original legendary detective, he confronts dangerous streets and powerful underworld figures. Navigating complex family ties and personal honor, Shaft seeks justice for the victim and retribution for his own family's past.

Shaft Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • fourth part
  • uncle nephew relationship
  • based on novel
  • title spoken by character
  • christmas
  • character name as title
  • restaurant
  • green wall
  • graffiti
  • court
  • baseball bat
  • doughnut
+38 more
  • yellow taxi
  • jewelry
  • jewelry store
  • boat
  • tattoo
  • dark comedy
  • police action
  • john shaft character
  • mission
  • justice
  • 1970s
  • legacy sequel
  • police force
  • taxi driver
  • money
  • speaking spanish
  • gang
  • handgun
  • seizure
  • cab
  • injured waitress
  • bullet
  • gun
  • gang member
  • waitress
  • friend
  • blaxploitation film
  • detective
  • drugs
  • police
  • trial
  • switzerland
  • police detective
  • bar
  • new york city
  • racial slur
  • murder
  • dual wield
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Cast & crew

Shaft Cast

Samuel L. Jackson leads the cast, with Christian Bale and Vanessa Williams. Directed by John Singleton.

From the director

More from John Singleton

More films directed by John Singleton, best-rated first: Boyz n the Hood, Rosewood, Four Brothers and Baby Boy.

Full filmography
Ratings

Shaft Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Shaft 50 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.0/10.

Plot

Shaft Plot Summary

What happens in Shaft from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In 1998, NYPD Detective John Shaft II (Samuel L. Jackson), a descendant of the iconic private investigator John Shaft I (played by Richard Roundtree), finds himself embroiled in a serious case involving the brutal attack on Trey Howard (Mekhi Phifer) outside a bustling restaurant. After an astute observation of Walter Wade Jr. (Christian Bale), the affluent scion of a prominent real estate family, Shaft arrests him upon discovering blood on his person. Wade claims he acted in self-defense, but Trey’s friend reveals a troubling sequence of events where Wade racially harassed Trey before the altercation. Amidst the chaos, waitress Diane Palmieri (Toni Collette) seems hesitant to provide a statement, disappearing before Shaft can secure her testimony.

Full summary

The whole story of Shaft, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Shaft Box Office & Budget

Shaft grossed $107.6 million worldwide on a $46 million budget, 2.3 times what it cost. $70.3 million came from the US and Canada and $37.3 million (35%) from the rest of the world.

2000 box office

Worldwide gross

$107.6M

2.3× its budget

US & Canada
$70.3M
International
$37.3M
Budget
$46M
US & Canada 65% Rest of the world 35%
Videos

Shaft Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Shaft.

Shaft - Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Shaft?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who plays the role of John Shaft II?

Cars

Cars in Shaft

45 cars on screen, including the 1991 Lincoln Town Car and the 1991 Cadillac Sedan DeVille.

All 45 cars
  • 1991 Lincoln Town Car in Shaft 1991 Lincoln Town Car Main role
  • 1991 Cadillac Sedan DeVille in Shaft 1991 Cadillac Sedan DeVille Important role
  • 1992 Chevrolet Camaro in Shaft 1992 Chevrolet Camaro Important role
  • 1992 Chevrolet Caprice in Shaft 1992 Chevrolet Caprice Important role
Details

Shaft Also Known As

20 alternative titles, including “Shaft Returns” and “シャフト:2000, შაფტი, შუბი, მახვილი”.

Also known as
  • Shaft Returns
  • シャフト:2000, შაფტი, შუბი, მახვილი
  • Shaft - Noch Fragen?
  • Шафт
  • 杀戮战警
  • Shaft: The Return
  • Korkusuz
  • שאפט
  • Shaft, ο μαύρος πάνθηρας
  • Drsný Shaft
  • Drsnej Shaft
  • 샤프트
+8 more
  • Šaftas
  • Shaft: El retorn
  • Šaft
  • แชฟท์ ชื่อนี้มีไว้ล้างพันธุ์เจ้าพ่อ
  • シャフト
  • 殺戮戰警, ლახვარი 2
  • Cảnh Sát Shaft
  • Šafts

Seen Shaft?

FAQ

Shaft FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Shaft, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Shaft?

Shaft runs 1 hour 39 minutes (99 minutes).

When was Shaft released?

Shaft was released on June 16, 2000.

Who directed Shaft?

Shaft was directed by John Singleton.

More films by John Singleton

Who is in the cast of Shaft?

Shaft stars Samuel L. Jackson, Christian Bale and Vanessa Williams.

How much did Shaft make at the box office?

Shaft grossed $107.6 million worldwide ($70.3 million domestic, $37.3 million international) on a budget of $46 million.

How is Shaft rated?

Shaft has 6.0/10 on IMDb, 50 on Metacritic and 60% on TMDB.

Does Shaft have a post-credit scene?

No. Shaft has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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