Directors
Action thriller
War of the Worlds (2005): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
War of the Worlds is a 2005 action thriller directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins and Dakota Fanning. It is partly based on The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. It runs 1 hour 56 minutes and earned $603.9 million worldwide on a $132 million budget. It won 2 awards from 6 nominations, among them 3 Oscar nominations. Critics gave it 73 on Metacritic.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 56m (116 min)
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Original language
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English - Studio
- Paramount Pictures
- Budget
- $132M
- Based on
- The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is War of the Worlds About?
The premise of War of the Worlds without spoilers, adapted from The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
When Mars comes under attack, three astronomers discover the terrifying truth: extraterrestrial invaders are targeting Earth. As the Martians launch a devastating assault, ordinary people struggle to survive the chaos and destruction. Facing overwhelming odds, they must find a way to defend themselves and protect their families amidst the unfolding global crisis.
War of the Worlds Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- mass death
- alien
- underground
- brutality
- escape
- paranoia
- little girl
- near death experience
- cult film
- disintegrating body
- good versus evil
- underwater scene
+38 more Show fewer
- mass destruction
- dreamworks
- based on the works of h.g. wells
- child in jeopardy
- alien invasion sci fi
- watching a cartoon on tv
- cartoon on tv
- humanity in jeopardy
- 10 year old girl
- blonde haired girl
- the future
- survival
- cage
- bird
- blood donation
- minuteman statue
- blindfold
- cellar
- capsized boat
- song
- singing
- abduction
- kidnapping
- refugee
- dead body floating in a river
- bridge
- girl
- teenage boy
- train on fire
- runaway train
- train
- crying
- extraterrestrial
- dying
- destruction
- fear
- hiding under a table
- violence
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Cast & crew
War of the Worlds Cast
Tom Cruise leads the cast, with Tim Robbins and Dakota Fanning. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
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Director Steven Spielberg
From the director
More from Steven Spielberg
More films directed by Steven Spielberg, best-rated first: Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, The Fabelmans and Jaws.
Ratings
War of the Worlds Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave War of the Worlds 73 on Metacritic.
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Metacritic 73 Metascore
User score 6.9
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 65% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
War of the Worlds Plot Summary
What happens in War of the Worlds from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In a reimagined reality marked by the unprovoked Martian invasion of Earth’s major cities in 1899, the young boy Eric Wells experienced a tragedy that would forever haunt him. Residing in the ravaged landscape of Leeds, England, he witnessed the brutal assault of a towering Tripod that tragically took the lives of his parents. Despite the devastation, fate spared the 10-year-old Eric, whose life dramatically shifted when the Martian colossus unexpectedly fell, vanquished by Earth’s ordinary microbes.
Full summary
The whole story of War of the Worlds, scene by scene
Box office
War of the Worlds Box Office & Budget
War of the Worlds grossed $603.9 million worldwide on a $132 million budget, 4.6 times what it cost. $234.3 million came from the US and Canada and $369.6 million (61%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$603.9M
4.6× its budget
- US & Canada
- $234.3M
- International
- $369.6M
- Budget
- $132M
US & Canada 39%
Rest of the world 61%
Awards
War of the Worlds Awards & Nominations
War of the Worlds won 2 awards from 6 nominations, among them 3 Oscar nominations. Its biggest night was the Saturn Awards 2006, with 1 win from 2 nominations.
2 wins6 nominations3 ceremonies
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Saturn Awards 2006 1 win · 2 nominations- Won Best Young Actor/Actress
- Nominated Best Actor – Tom Cruise
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Critics' Choice 2006 1 win · 1 nomination- Won Best Young Actress – Dakota Fanning
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Oscars 2006 3 nominations- Nominated Sound Editing
- Nominated Sound Mixing
- Nominated Visual Effects
Videos
War of the Worlds Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 2 trailers and 1 clip.
- Trailer War Of The Worlds (2005) - Trailer
- Clip Tom Cruise Hunted by Alien Drone
Quiz
How Well Do You Know War of the Worlds?
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
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
In which year did young Eric Wells witness the Martian attack in Leeds?
Cars
Cars in War of the Worlds
71 cars on screen, including the 1993 Plymouth Voyager and the 1966 Shelby GT 350 H.
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1993 Plymouth Voyager Main role -
1966 Shelby GT 350 H Important role -
AM General HMMWV M1025 Minor role -
1995 Chevrolet Lumina Minor role
Details
War of the Worlds Also Known As
41 alternative titles, including “Samkarota omi” and “Rat svetova”.
- Also known as
-
- Samkarota omi
- Rat svetova
- Planetary War
- 우주 전쟁
- Война миров
- 強戰世界
- جنگ جهانها
- 世界大战
- La guerra de los mundos
- 宇宙戦争
- 宇宙戦争：2005
- Krieg der Welten
+29 more Show fewer
- La Guerre des mondes
- La guerra dei mondi
- Válka světů
- Maailmojen sota
- Guerra dos Mundos
- 世界之战
- Világok harca
- Dünyalar Savaşı
- Världarnas krig
- Wojna światów
- Ο Πόλεμος των Κόσμων
- מלחמת העולמות
- Războiul lumilor
- 우주전쟁
- Война на световете
- Війна світів
- Рат светова
- Klodenes kamp
- Vojna svetov
- Pasauļu karš
- 世界大戰
- ग्रहों का महायुद्ध
- Đại Chiến Thế Giới
- حرب العوالم
- อภิมหาสงครามล้างโลก
- Rat svjetova
- La guerra dels mons
- Pasaulių karas, სამყაროთა ომები
- جنگ دنیاها
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Movies Like War of the Worlds
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The War of the Worlds, War of the Worlds: The Attack and The War of the Worlds.
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The War of the Worlds 1953 -
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War of the Worlds: Extinction 2024 -
War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave 2008 -
War of the Worlds: Annihilation 2021 -
The War of the Worlds: Next Century 1981 -
H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds 2005 -
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War of the Planets 1977
From the blog
Articles About War of the Worlds
Our article about War of the Worlds: “Behind the Camera: Iconic Directors and Their Signature Styles”.
FAQ
War of the Worlds FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of War of the Worlds, each answered in a sentence.
How long is War of the Worlds?
War of the Worlds runs 1 hour 56 minutes (116 minutes).
When was War of the Worlds released?
War of the Worlds was released on June 29, 2005.
Who directed War of the Worlds?
War of the Worlds was directed by Steven Spielberg.
More films by Steven Spielberg Who is in the cast of War of the Worlds?
War of the Worlds stars Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins and Dakota Fanning.
How much did War of the Worlds make at the box office?
War of the Worlds grossed $603.9 million worldwide ($234.3 million domestic, $369.6 million international) on a budget of $132 million.
How is War of the Worlds rated?
War of the Worlds has 73 on Metacritic and 65% on TMDB.
Is War of the Worlds based on a book?
Yes. War of the Worlds is partly adapted from The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells.
What awards did War of the Worlds win?
War of the Worlds won 2 awards from 6 nominations, including Best Young Actor/Actress at the Saturn Awards 2006.
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