Synopsis
Chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists.
Scores
Overall Score
67.5
Popularity Percentile (Year)
68.9%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
66.2%
Review Aggregate
66.7
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is mixed, with 66% of 116 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize historical, character-driven, visually striking. Common reservations focus on execution consistency, even when reviewers praise standout elements.
historicalcharacter-drivenvisually strikinglightheartedrealisticchristmasdarkstylizedfunny
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrien Brody | 2008 | $636,000 | $927,000 | (est) |
| Jeffrey Wright | 2008 | $392,000 | $571,000 | (est) |
| Gabrielle Union | 2008 | $295,000 | $430,000 | (est) |
| Columbus Short | 2008 | $241,000 | $351,000 | (est) |
| Cedric the Entertainer | 2008 | $206,000 | $301,000 | (est) |
| Emmanuelle Chriqui | 2008 | $182,000 | $265,000 | (est) |
| Eamonn Walker | 2008 | $163,000 | $237,000 | (est) |
| Mos Def | 2008 | $148,000 | $216,000 | (est) |
| Beyoncé Knowles | 2008 | $4,000,000 source | $5,828,147 | reported |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score66.0
RT critic review count122
Rotten Tomatoes audience score65.0
RT audience rating count50,000
IMDb rating7.0
IMDb votes24,039
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 2008 | $8,195,551 | $11,941,218 |
| International | 2008 | $688,093 | $1,002,577 |
| Worldwide | 2008 | $8,883,644 | $12,943,795 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 2008 | $4,373,013 | $6,371,640 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 2008 | $1,281,000 | $1,866,464 |
| Digital Purchases ? | 2008 | $457,000 | $665,866 |
| Physical Rentals ? | 2008 | $10,616,000 | $15,467,901 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 2008 | $21,996,000 | $32,048,978 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 2008 | $1,966,932 | $2,865,892 |
| Total Revenues | 2008 | $40,689,945 | $59,286,742 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 2008 | $12,000,000 | $17,484,440 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 2008 | $7,521,000 (est) | $10,958,373 (est) |
| Participations | 2008 | $1,628,000 | $2,372,056 |
| Residuals ? | 2008 | $2,567,000 | $3,740,213 |
| Interest & Overhead | 2008 | $2,400,000 | $3,496,888 |
| Total Expenses | 2008 | $26,116,000 | $38,051,969 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 2008 | $14,573,945 | $21,234,772 |
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