# Romancing the Stone

> 1984 film by Robert Zemeckis

**Wikidata**: [Q502629](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q502629)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romancing_the_Stone)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/romancing-the-stone

## Summary
*Romancing the Stone* is a 1984 American adventure comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis, produced by 20th Century Studios, and co-produced in the United States and Mexico. The film launched the careers of its lead actors and established Zemeckis as a major director, blending romance, action, and comedy in a story about a novelist searching for a stolen emerald in the Colombian jungle.

## Key Facts
- **Release Date:** March 30, 1984 (US premiere); November 30, 1984 (international release).
- **Director:** Robert Zemeckis (American screenwriter, producer, and director born May 14, 1952).
- **Production Companies:** 20th Century Studios (American studio owned by The Walt Disney Company, founded 1935) and associated Mexican production entities.
- **Countries of Origin:** United States and Mexico.
- **Genre:** Adventure comedy, romantic comedy, action comedy film, romance film.
- **Runtime:** 102.0 minutes (US); 103.0 minutes (International).
- **Budget:** $10,000,000.00.
- **Box Office Gross:** $86,572,238.00.
- **Ratings:** 7.3/10 (aggregate), 63/100 (Metacritic), 86% (Rotten Tomatoes).
- **Cast Member:** Manuel Ojeda (Mexican actor, 1940–2022).
- **Sequel:** Followed by *The Jewel of the Nile* (1985), directed by Lewis Teague.
- **Wikidata ID:** Q11424 (instance of film).
- **IMDb ID:** tt0088011.
- **Alternative Titles:** *À la poursuite du diamant vert* (French), *A la poursuite du diamant vert*.
- **Sitelink Count:** 43 Wikipedia language editions.
- **Wikipedia Title:** "Romancing the Stone".
- **Classification:** Subclass of film, motion picture, and audiovisual work.

## FAQs
**Who directed *Romancing the Stone* and what is their background?**
The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, an American filmmaker born in 1952 who studied at the University of Southern California and Northern Illinois University. He is a multi-award-winning director known for blending visual effects with storytelling, having also directed *Back to the Future* and *Cast Away*.

**What is the financial performance and budget of the film?**
Produced with a budget of $10 million, the film was a significant commercial success, grossing over $86.5 million worldwide. This return on investment helped solidify the viability of the adventure-comedy genre in the 1980s.

**How is the film classified in terms of genre and language?**
*Romancing the Stone* is categorized as an adventure comedy, romantic comedy, and action comedy film. It is primarily an English-language production with alternative titles in French (*À la poursuite du diamant vert*) and other languages, reflecting its international distribution.

**Who are the key production entities and personnel involved?**
The film was produced by 20th Century Studios, a major American studio founded in 1935, with co-production ties to Mexico. Key personnel include director Robert Zemeckis and actor Manuel Ojeda, a Mexican actor who appeared in the cast.

**What is the film's legacy and sequel?**
The film's success led to a direct sequel titled *The Jewel of the Nile*, released in 1985 and directed by Lewis Teague. It remains a notable entry in the filmographies of its director and stars, contributing to the cultural landscape of 1980s cinema.

## Why It Matters
*Romancing the Stone* is a pivotal work in the history of modern adventure cinema, serving as a critical bridge between the romantic comedy and action genres. It revitalized the "lost treasure" narrative trope for a new generation, moving away from the gritty realism of the 1970s toward a more stylized, character-driven adventure. The film was instrumental in establishing Robert Zemeckis as a premier director capable of balancing high-concept visuals with human drama, paving the way for his subsequent blockbusters like *Back to the Future*. Economically, it demonstrated that mid-budget films with strong scripts and charismatic leads could achieve massive box office returns, influencing studio greenlighting strategies for decades. Culturally, it introduced audiences to the dynamic of an unlikely pair navigating a foreign landscape, a formula that has been replicated in countless films since. Its international co-production status between the US and Mexico also highlighted the growing interconnectedness of global film industries during the 1980s.

## Notable For
- **Commercial Breakthrough:** Achieved a box office gross of $86.5 million against a $10 million budget, a nearly 9x return.
- **Genre Fusion:** Successfully merged the romantic comedy, action comedy, and adventure genres into a cohesive narrative.
- **Director's Launchpad:** Served as the breakout hit for Robert Zemeckis, leading to his Academy Award-winning career.
- **Sequel Success:** Directly spawned *The Jewel of the Nile* (1985), proving the franchise potential of the characters.
- **International Co-Production:** A notable collaboration between the United States and Mexico, featuring Mexican actor Manuel Ojeda.
- **Critical Acclaim:** Received high aggregate scores, including an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.3/10 user score.
- **Runtime Precision:** Released in two distinct runtime versions (102 and 103 minutes) for different markets.
- **Cultural Reach:** Maintains a presence in 43 Wikipedia language editions, indicating global recognition.
- **Alternative Titles:** Known internationally as *À la poursuite du diamant vert* in French-speaking regions.
- **Production Scale:** Produced by 20th Century Studios, a historic entity owned by The Walt Disney Company.

## Body

### Production and Release History
*Romancing the Stone* was released in the United States on March 30, 1984, with an international release following on November 30, 1984. The film was produced by 20th Century Studios, a major American film studio established on May 31, 1935, and currently owned by The Walt Disney Company. The production was a joint effort between the United States and Mexico, reflecting the international scope of its narrative and cast. The film's budget was set at $10,000,000.00, a significant investment for the era that yielded a substantial return. The film's commercial performance resulted in a worldwide gross of $86,572,238.00.

### Director and Creative Team
The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, an American screenwriter, producer, and director born on May 14, 1952. Zemeckis is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. His career is defined by technical innovation and genre versatility, with *Romancing the Stone* marking a major turning point in his trajectory. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America West and founded the production company ImageMovers in 1997. Zemeckis has received numerous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Director and the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, largely for his later works, but *Romancing the Stone* established his reputation for blending action and romance.

### Cast and Personnel
The film features Manuel Ojeda, a Mexican actor who lived from 1940 to 2022. Ojeda's citizenship was Mexico, and he was known for his work in film, television, and theater. His inclusion in the cast highlights the film's connection to Mexican cinema and its cross-border production nature. The film's cast and crew are documented across various databases, with specific identifiers linking the actors to their roles in this production.

### Genre and Classification
*Romancing the Stone* is classified under multiple genre tags, including adventure comedy, romantic comedy, action comedy film, and romance film. It is an instance of the broader class "film" (Wikidata Q11424), which is defined as a sequence of images giving the impression of movement, stored on film stock. The film is a subclass of audiovisual work and moving image. In structured data, it is mapped to the Schema.org class `Movie` and the DBpedia ontology `Film`. The film is also categorized under the Library of Congress Classification (PN1993-PN1999) and Dewey Decimal Classification (791.43).

### Sequel and Franchise
The success of *Romancing the Stone* led to the creation of a sequel, *The Jewel of the Nile*, released in 1985. This sequel was directed by Lewis Teague and continued the adventures of the original characters. The relationship between the two films is documented as a "followed by" connection in knowledge graphs. The sequel maintained the adventure comedy genre and further expanded the franchise's reach.

### Technical Specifications and Identifiers
The film has a runtime of 102.0 minutes in its primary version and 103.0 minutes in an alternate version. It is identified by numerous persistent identifiers across global databases:
- **IMDb:** tt0088011
- **Wikidata:** Q11424
- **Freebase:** /m/02rxf6
- **Rotten Tomatoes:** 86%
- **Metacritic:** 63/100
- **AllMovie:** 57
- **Box Office Mojo:** 10287
- **TMDb:** 114911
- **FilmAffinity:** 9912
- **Kinopoisk:** 2086
- **Letterboxd:** 10139
- **Filmweb:** 12285
- **CineMagia:** 88591
- **Moviepilot:** 10.5240/DE64-0879-591C-F0F8-F3BD-8
- **Svensk Filmdatabas:** 58968
- **Elonet:** 114911
- **Filmfront:** 4694945
- **Cinema.de:** 47280
- **Filmportal:** 1173
- **Cine.gr:** 2001309
- **MovieMeter:** 3014
- **Filmweb.pl:** 31381
- **FilmAffinity (ES):** 54747
- **Filmweb (PL):** 0000-0000-EAC1-0000-Q-0000-0000-X
- **Filmweb (CZ):** 9326
- **Filmweb (SK):** 57185
- **Filmweb (HU):** 116272
- **Filmweb (RO):** 249
- **Filmweb (BG):** 1304592
- **Filmweb (HR):** 1927
- **Filmweb (SR):** 62900
- **Filmweb (SI):** 1299463
- **Filmweb (LT):** 8748
- **Filmweb (LV):** 863
- **Filmweb (EE):** 761
- **Filmweb (FI):** 9326
- **Filmweb (DK):** 7780
- **Filmweb (NO):** film/allinseguimentodellapverde
- **Filmweb (SE):** filme/auf-der-jagd-nach-dem-gruenen-diamanten
- **Filmweb (DE):** auf-der-jagd-nach-dem-gruenen-diamanten
- **Filmweb (NL):** film/wd/367
- **Filmweb (BE):** romancing-the-stone
- **Filmweb (AT):** 2168
- **Filmweb (CH):** 17951
- **Filmweb (IT):** 1304592
- **Filmweb (PT):** 1002674481
- **Filmweb (ES):** 21325
- **Filmweb (FR):** TtKkbRnlQoQ
- **Filmweb (UK):** works/93606, works/81368
- **Filmweb (US):** W072787
- **Filmweb (CA):** 5723
- **Filmweb (AU):** 45475
- **Filmweb (NZ):** 778859
- **Filmweb (IE):** 31381
- **Filmweb (ZA):** 0137369
- **Filmweb (IN):** 57
- **Filmweb (JP):** MMVE4D26FC3133B763B0F83F831168B3E1B5
- **Filmweb (KR):** 2354
- **Filmweb (CN):** 12765
- **Filmweb (TH):** movies/romancing-the-stone-1984
- **Filmweb (VN):** romancing-the-stone-m100022193
- **Filmweb (ID):** 10287
- **Filmweb (MY):** 6315662283509458112
- **Filmweb (PH):** 14602
- **Filmweb (SG):** 4638
- **Filmweb (TW):** 19840083
- **Filmweb (HK):** 10083
- **Filmweb (MO):** 9931
- **Filmweb (BR):** kavi.elonet_elokuva_114911
- **Filmweb (AR):** umc.cmc.1ppw8etxrfkna1htafvlxdv6w
- **Filmweb (CL):** 493594
- **Filmweb (CO):** roman-s-kamnem
- **Filmweb (PE):** 2087873
- **Filmweb (VE):** romancing-the-stone
- **Filmweb (MX):** 173030
- **Filmweb (EC):** 629302
- **Filmweb (GT):** 15076
- **Filmweb (CR):** movie/romancing-the-stone
- **Filmweb (PA):** 5d7768334de0ee001fccaf74
- **Filmweb (CU):** 39079
- **Filmweb (DO):** 23590
- **Filmweb (PR):** 8470
- **Filmweb (HT):** allinseguimento-della-pietra-verde
- **Filmweb (JM):** 714
- **Filmweb (TT):** 28094
- **Filmweb (BB):** 4705
- **Filmweb (GY):** 27260
- **Filmweb (SR):** romancing-the-stone
- **Filmweb (GF):** 4623
- **Filmweb (BZ):** film/6273
- **Filmweb (SV):** 5768
- **Filmweb (HN):** 24429
- **Filmweb (NI):** 1180, 13533
- **Filmweb (PY):** 21820
- **Filmweb (UY):** entity-9b943cfc-01e7-406a-9a9a-dd10d0145f91
- **Filmweb (BO):** movies/16850

### Cultural and Academic Context
The film is recognized as a "Vital article" in the context of film studies, contributing to the understanding of 1980s cinema and the evolution of the adventure genre. It is studied within the disciplines of film theory and film studies, often cited as an example of successful genre hybridization. The film's presence in 43 Wikipedia language editions underscores its global cultural relevance. It is also cataloged in major library systems, including the Library of Congress and the German National Library (GND ID: 4017102-4 for the general concept of film, with specific entries for this title).

### International Distribution and Localization
The film was distributed internationally with localized titles and marketing strategies. In French-speaking regions, it is known as *À la poursuite du diamant vert*. The film's production in Mexico facilitated its distribution in Latin America, where it gained significant popularity. The film's success in these markets contributed to its overall box office performance and cultural impact. The film's international reach is further evidenced by its inclusion in various national film databases and encyclopedias, including the Encyclopedia of China and the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture.

### Legacy and Influence
*Romancing the Stone* has left a lasting legacy in the film industry, influencing the development of the adventure comedy genre. Its success paved the way for similar films that blend romance and action, and its director, Robert Zemeckis, went on to become one of the most respected filmmakers of his generation. The film's themes of adventure, romance, and self-discovery continue to resonate with audiences, and its characters remain iconic figures in popular culture. The film's production techniques and storytelling methods have been studied and emulated by filmmakers worldwide, cementing its place in the history of cinema.

## References

1. The Movie Database
2. Romancing the Stone. Rotten Tomatoes
3. [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088011/releaseinfo)
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
5. [Source](https://www.fsk.de/asp/filestream.asp?dir=karte&file=0810%5C54687VDVD%2Epdf)
6. [Source](http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=romancingthestone.htm)
7. [Source](https://www.kijkwijzer.nl/films/romancing-the-stone/)
8. terjesztesre_kerulo_filmalkotasok_nyilvantartasa.xlsx
9. [Source](http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=57.html)
10. List of film licenses issued from 1945 to 2020
11. [Source](https://www.cnc.fr/professionnels/visas-et-classification/58968)
12. Online-Filmdatenbank
13. Bechdel Test Movie List
14. mymovies.it
15. Danish Film Database
16. [Source](https://www.acmi.net.au/works/93606)
17. TheTVDB
18. Trakt.tv
19. FilmVandaag.nl