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Snowden (film)

From Alfawiki
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Snowden (film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025
Snowden
Company typeFilm
IndustryFilm industry
Founded2016; 10 years ago (2016)
FounderOliver Stone (director), Kieran Fitzgerald (co-writer)
ProductsBiographical thriller film

Snowden is a 2016 biographical thriller helmed by director Oliver Stone, with a screenplay co-written by Stone and Kieran Fitzgerald. The narrative draws from The Snowden Files (2014) by Luke Harding and Time of the Octopus (2015) by Anatoly Kucherena. The movie stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt portraying Edward Snowden, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) contractor and whistleblower who disclosed classified materials from the National Security Agency (NSA) beginning in 2013. The supporting cast features Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson, Scott Eastwood, Logan Marshall-Green, Timothy Olyphant, Ben Schnetzer, LaKeith Lee Stanfield, Rhys Ifans, and Nicolas Cage. This film represents a collaborative production effort between Germany, France, and the United States, with principal photography commencing on February 16, 2015, in Munich.

The film debuted at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2016, following an earlier screening at San Diego Comic-Con on July 21. It was subsequently released in U.S. theaters on September 16 through Open Road Films and premiered in Germany on September 22. Critical reception was mixed; while Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal received commendation, Stone’s directorial approach was seen as cautious. The worldwide box office totaled $37.3 million against a production budget of $40 million.

Plot

In 2013, Edward Snowden arranges a clandestine meeting in Hong Kong with filmmaker Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald to plan the release of confidential information revealing unlawful mass surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA). Poitras later produced the documentary Citizenfour, which is incorporated into the film’s narrative.

Back in 2004, Snowden attempts to join the U.S. Army with aspirations of entering the Special Forces, but an injury leads to his administrative discharge. He subsequently applies to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), overcoming initial screening complications to impress Deputy Director Corbin O'Brian during cyberwarfare training at "The Hill." Snowden demonstrates exceptional skill in establishing covert communication networks under stringent deadlines.

Snowden connects with Lindsay Mills online; despite holding contrasting political perspectives, they develop a romantic relationship. In 2007, Snowden assumes a diplomatic cover role in Geneva, collaborating with electronic surveillance specialist Gabriel Sol. Disenchanted by questionable practices such as coercion of targets, he resigns from the CIA.

He later accepts a position with the NSA in Japan, where he is tasked with developing "Epic Shelter," a system designed to back up critical data related to the Middle East. During this time, Snowden uncovers extensive NSA operations involving malware installation within allied nations’ infrastructure as preparation for possible retaliatory actions. The increasing pressures of his job create tension in his relationship with Mills, who returns to Maryland.

After departing from the NSA, Snowden goes back to Maryland and rekindles his relationship with Mills while consulting for the CIA. On a hunting excursion, O'Brian informs him about a counter-hacking initiative based in Oahu. After being diagnosed with epilepsy, Snowden joins this operation at "The Tunnel." There he discovers that Epic Shelter supplies real-time intelligence facilitating U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan.

Growing disillusioned, Snowden covertly removes classified data using a microSD card concealed inside a Rubik's Cube. He calls in sick and advises Mills to return home before reaching out to Poitras and Greenwald.

With assistance from journalist Ewen MacAskill, the leaks begin publication on June 5, 2013. Snowden is exfiltrated from Hong Kong en route to Latin America via Russia but becomes stranded in Moscow after his U.S. passport is revoked. He receives asylum for three years and is later joined by Mills. Snowden expresses readiness to face U.S. judicial proceedings provided he receives a fair trial. The film closes with media coverage of congressional debates and reforms triggered by his revelations.

Cast

Anatoly Kucherena, Snowden’s Russian legal counsel and author of the novel Time of the Octopus, which partly inspired the screenplay, also appears in the film as a Russian diplomat.

Development

Initially reluctant to direct another contentious film following his work on a Martin Luther King Jr. project, Oliver Stone was convinced to take on the Snowden biopic after engaging with journalist Glenn Greenwald and Snowden’s Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena. Kucherena, aiming to promote his fictionalized novel about Snowden, arranged a private meeting with Stone in Moscow. Despite the book’s largely fictional nature, Stone found it intriguing and considered whether to approach the story with dramatic license or factual accuracy.

Stone began communicating with Snowden in January 2014. After some hesitation, Snowden consented to participate by late May but did not have script approval nor received payment; instead, any compensation was directed to The Guardian. Snowden had shown interest in Stone’s earlier work, especially Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States. Columbia Pictures already owned rights to Greenwald’s book covering the case.

On June 2, 2014, Stone and Moritz Borman secured rights to Luke Harding’s nonfiction work The Snowden Files, with Stone attached as writer and director. Subsequently, he dropped the Martin Luther King Jr. film to focus on Snowden. By June 10, Stone also acquired rights to Kucherena’s Time of the Octopus, utilizing both books for his script. By November 2014, Open Road Films obtained U.S. distribution rights, Wild Bunch handled international sales, and Endgame Entertainment joined the production team.

Pre-production

Prior to filming, Stone and Gordon-Levitt met with Snowden in 2015 in Moscow, where Snowden was living in exile after escaping U.S. espionage charges. His passport had been revoked by U.S. authorities during his attempt to travel to South America. Gordon-Levitt compared Snowden to Philippe Petit, whom he portrayed in The Walk (2015). However, no U.S.-based studios or affiliated companies agreed to participate. Funding came from France and Germany, with filming taking place in Germany under a German production framework; contracts were finalized only eight days before shooting commenced. Due to budget limitations, Stone missed his mother’s funeral rather than reduce four days of scheduled filming.

Casting

Negotiations began on September 21, 2014, for Joseph Gordon-Levitt to portray Edward Snowden, a role officially confirmed by November 10 as the film’s lead. In November 2014, Shailene Woodley was cast as Lindsay Mills, Snowden’s partner. Early in 2015, Scott Eastwood joined the cast as an NSA agent, while Melissa Leo was selected to play documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras. Zachary Quinto took on the role of journalist Glenn Greenwald, and Tom Wilkinson portrayed Guardian correspondent Ewen MacAskill. Shortly thereafter, Ben Schnetzer was added to the ensemble. Timothy Olyphant was cast as a CIA operative closely associated with Snowden; Rhys Ifans and Joely Richardson were also incorporated into the cast later on. Nicolas Cage assumed the role of a former U.S. Intelligence official, and Lakeith Stanfield appeared as Snowden’s colleague and friend within the NSA.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt committed to donating his entire earnings from the project to initiatives fostering discussions about technology and democratic values.

Filming

Principal photography commenced on February 16, 2015, in Munich, Germany. Production then moved to Washington, D.C., in early April before filming took place in Hawaii from April 15 to 18, utilizing a residence located on Snowden’s former street. By late April, filming shifted to The Mira Hong Kong hotel and outdoor scenes in To Kwa Wan, wrapping up around mid-May. Additional exterior shots were captured in Tokyo.

Concerned about potential interference from the National Security Agency (NSA), director Oliver Stone opted to shoot predominantly outside the United States. Stone explained, "We felt vulnerable here... so relocating to Munich turned out to be a wonderful experience." To safeguard against information leaks during production, Stone enlisted ethical hacker Ralph Echemendia as technical supervisor and mandated that all personnel use encrypted communication tools for chats and file sharing.

Music

Peter Gabriel composed the song "The Veil" specifically for this film. Its accompanying video incorporates images and a cameo appearance by Snowden himself, alongside news footage and scenes from the movie.

Release

Open Road Films initially planned a domestic release date of December 25, 2015, announced on February 20, 2015. Pathé distributed the film in France on December 30, 2015, while Universum Film handled the German release on January 7, 2016. However, in September 2015, Open Road postponed the release to 2016 due to reports that post-production was incomplete. On October 7, 2015, the release was rescheduled for May 13, 2016, before being delayed again until September 16, 2016, to coincide with awards season. The official trailer premiered on April 27, 2016.

The film was part of the competition at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival where director Thierry Frémaux commended it for complementing Citizenfour and deepening public insight into Snowden’s narrative. Despite this accolade, producers chose not to debut at Cannes in order to concentrate efforts on the Academy Awards campaign. The film also screened at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and held its European premiere at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.

Oliver Stone arranged an exclusive screening in Sun Valley, Idaho for invited guests including Melissa Leo who portrayed Laura Poitras. Attendees signed confidentiality agreements and lauded the film’s narrative approach.

An invitation-only showing occurred at San Diego Comic-Con on July 21, 2016, where a second trailer was unveiled as well.

Box office

Snowden earned $21.6 million domestically in the United States and Canada, with an additional $15.7 million from international markets, culminating in a global total of $37.3 million against its $40 million production cost.

Debuting on September 16, 2016, alongside titles such as Blair Witch, Bridget Jones's Baby, and Hillsong: Let Hope Rise, the film was expected to generate approximately $10 million across 2,443 theaters during its opening weekend. However, it opened to $8 million, placing fourth at the box office. This represented the weakest opening weekend for an Oliver Stone film released in more than 2,000 theaters.

Critical response

The critical reception of Snowden was mixed overall, although Joseph Gordon-Levitt's portrayal of the lead character received commendation. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a 61% approval rating based on 257 critiques, with an average rating of 6.2 out of 10. The site's summary acknowledges the compelling true-story aspect but critiques Stone for adopting a cautious approach. On Metacritic, it achieved a score of 58 out of 100 from 43 reviews, signifying "mixed or average reviews." Viewers surveyed by CinemaScore awarded it an average grade of "A."

Film critic Richard Roeper gave the movie three stars out of four, emphasizing that its most impactful sequences involved Snowden's engagements with journalists and the progression leading to his revelations about governmental surveillance.

At the November 2016 Camerimage festival, cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle was honored with the Bronze Frog award for his cinematographic contribution to Snowden.

Accolades

Compilation of awards and nominations
Award Ceremony Date Category Nominees Outcome
Camerimage November 19, 2016 Bronze Frog Award for Best Cinematography Anthony Dod Mantle Template:Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association December 5, 2016 Best Portrayal of Washington D.C. Snowden Template:Nominated
Women Film Critics Circle December 19, 2016 Best Male Image in a Movie Snowden Template:Nominated
Best Screen Couple Snowden Template:Nominated
Grammy Awards February 12, 2017 Best Song Written for Visual Media Peter Gabriel
For "The Veil" 		Template:Nominated
Satellite Awards February 19, 2017 Best Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt Template:Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Oliver Stone and Kieran Fitzgerald Template:Won
2017 Cinema for Peace Award for Justice Oliver Stone and Kieran Fitzgerald Template:Won
Golden Raspberry Awards February 25, 2017 Worst Supporting Actor Nicolas Cage Template:Nominated


See also

External links

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