The Wolf of Wall Street (2013 film)

Red Granite Pictures

Company type	Independent film production company
Industry	Film production
Founded	2012
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Products	Films, including The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street is a 2013 American biographical black comedy crime film directed and co-produced by Martin Scorsese with a screenplay by Terence Winter. It adapts the 2007 memoir of Jordan Belfort, depicting his rise as a New York stockbroker and the fraudulent activities of his firm, Stratton Oakmont, which ultimately lead to his collapse. The cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio portraying Belfort; Jonah Hill as his associate Donnie Azoff; Margot Robbie as Naomi Lapaglia, Belfort's second wife; Matthew McConaughey as Mark Hanna, his mentor; and Kyle Chandler playing FBI agent Patrick Denham. This project marks the fifth time DiCaprio has collaborated with Scorsese.

In 2007, DiCaprio and Warner Bros. secured the rights to Belfort's memoir, though production was delayed due to restrictions on content. Eventually, independent company Red Granite Pictures took over the production. Filming occurred primarily on 35mm film in New York during late 2012.

The movie had its premiere in New York City on December 17, 2013, followed by a U.S. release on December 25 through Paramount Pictures. It was notable for being the first major American feature distributed solely via digital platforms. Financially, it earned $407 million globally, becoming Scorsese's top-grossing film to date.

The film generated debate over its ethical ambiguity, explicit sexual scenes, profuse use of profanity (setting a Guinness World Record for the highest count of the word "fuck"), portrayal of drug consumption, and concerns about animal treatment during production. Initially assigned an NC-17 rating by the Motion Picture Association of America, Scorsese successfully appealed to receive an R rating after implementing minor cuts.

Funding for the film became entangled with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, leading to investigations into Red Granite Pictures and producer Riza Aziz, who was arrested in 2019 and later released on bail in 2020.

Critics widely praised the film, which featured on numerous year-end top lists and earned five nominations at the 86th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor (DiCaprio), and Best Supporting Actor (Hill). At the 71st Golden Globe Awards, DiCaprio won Best Actor – Musical or Comedy, while the film also received a nomination for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy.

Plot

In 1987, twenty-five-year-old Jordan Belfort begins his career as a stockbroker at L.F. Rothschild under the guidance of Mark Hanna. Immersed in a drug-heavy environment, he quickly adopts their philosophy centered on personal enrichment. After being laid off due to Black Monday, which marked the largest single-day market crash since 1929, Jordan joins Investor's Center—a high-pressure sales operation dealing in pink sheet penny stocks. His aggressive tactics yield significant financial gains.

Partnering with neighbor Donnie Azoff, Jordan establishes their own boiler room brokerage. They enlist childhood friends Robbie Feinberg, Alden Kupferburg, Nicky Koskoff, Chester Ming, Toby Welch, and drug dealer Brad Bonick. Operating out of a former auto repair shop, Jordan instructs them in hard-selling techniques.

Their fraudulent "pump and dump" strategy artificially inflates stock prices by misleading investors before selling shares at a profit. To lend credibility to their operation, Jordan names their company Stratton Oakmont in 1989.

The firm rapidly expands into larger office spaces. A Forbes article dubs Jordan "The Wolf of Wall Street," likening him to a corrupt Robin Hood figure—this reputation attracts ambitious financiers and further growth.

Jordan’s wealth fuels an extravagant lifestyle marked by drug use and prostitution. Following an affair with lingerie designer Naomi Lapaglia, he divorces his wife Teresa and marries Naomi in 1991. Meanwhile, investigations by the SEC and FBI into Stratton Oakmont intensify.

In 1993, Jordan illegally generates $22 million within three hours following the IPO of Steve Madden, Ltd., founded by Donnie’s acquaintance Steve Madden—escalating FBI attention. An attempted bribe aimed at agent Denham fails; consequently, Jordan hides money in a Swiss bank account registered under Naomi’s aunt Emma’s name and smuggles cash into Switzerland using European passports.

A confrontation between Donnie and Brad results in Brad’s arrest while Donnie evades capture. Donnie uncovers expired lemmon 714 quaaludes, which he and Jordan consume without immediate effect before ingesting the remainder.

Private investigator Bo Dietl alerts Jordan about FBI wiretaps during a phone call coinciding with the delayed effects of the quaaludes. Impaired by drugs, Jordan struggles to drive home in his Lamborghini Countach. At home, he nearly strangles Donnie during a drug-induced episode but revives him after Donnie begins choking on meat. The following day police notify Jordan that his car has been vandalized.

Concerned for his family’s safety, Jordan’s father Max advises him to leave Stratton Oakmont while negotiating with authorities. Despite this counsel, Jordan delivers a farewell speech but ultimately chooses to remain with support from employees—displeasing his father.

In 1996, while on a yacht trip to Italy accompanied by Donnie and their wives, they learn of Emma’s death. To secure funds in her Swiss account, Jordan plans to forge her signature before attending her funeral in London. Attempts to evade border patrols via Monaco lead to their yacht capsizing during a storm; subsequent travel plans are thwarted by engine failure on their plane. Interpreting these setbacks as omens, Jordan resolves to conquer his drug addiction.

By 1998, banker Saurel and Koskoff are arrested; Saurel cooperates with the FBI implicating Jordan. Overwhelmed by evidence against him, Jordan agrees to inform on colleagues in exchange for leniency. Naomi announces divorce proceedings and demands custody of their children; after a cocaine-fueled altercation during which Jordan strikes her and crashes his car, their relationship ends.

Jordan secretly wears a wire at work but is caught when a warning note intended for Donnie is discovered by federal agents. Authorities arrest him and shut down Stratton Oakmont. Although violating his plea agreement, Jordan receives a reduced sentence of 36 months in minimum security prison and is released after serving 22 months in 2000. Following release, he builds a career conducting sales seminars based on techniques developed during his brokerage tenure.

Cast

Among the brief appearances and minor roles are Bo Dietl portraying himself, the actual Jordan Belfort appearing as the host of the Auckland Straight Line event at the film's conclusion, and others such as Stephanie Kurtzuba, Thomas Middleditch, along with director Spike Jonze in an uncredited role as Dwayne, who leads a Long Island brokerage firm and introduces Belfort to penny stock trading.

Development

Leonardo DiCaprio and Warner Bros. acquired the rights to Jordan Belfort’s memoir The Wolf of Wall Street in 2007, with Belfort receiving $1 million from the agreement. Initially, Martin Scorsese was attached as director but departed to helm Shutter Island (2010). Warner Bros. then offered Ridley Scott the directing position, with Brad Pitt cast as Belfort; however, this iteration was ultimately abandoned.

In 2012, Red Granite Pictures, an independent studio, approved the film without imposing content restrictions and reinstated Scorsese as director. Paramount Pictures managed distribution across the United States, Canada, and Japan, while Red Granite handled international markets through various partners including Universal Pictures for Europe and Roadshow Films for Australia and New Zealand.

Belfort revealed that Random House requested significant censorship of explicit material before releasing his memoir; consequently, both book and film omit such content. Legal considerations led to many character name changes—Donnie Azoff represents Danny Porush following a legal threat. Other notable characters like FBI agent Patrick Denham and attorney Manny Riskin are based on real-life individuals. Some names remained intact, including Mark Hanna and Belfort’s parents Max and Leah.

Regarding casting, Julie Andrews withdrew from the role of Aunt Emma due to injury, leading to Joanna Lumley’s casting. Olivia Wilde auditioned for Naomi but was deemed "too old" despite DiCaprio being older; Margot Robbie ultimately secured the role. Jonah Hill disclosed he earned $60,000 for his part—the minimum SAG-AFTRA scale—while DiCaprio received $10 million and also served as a producer.

Filming

Principal photography commenced on August 8, 2012, in New York City. Jonah Hill marked his first day of filming on September 4, 2012. Additional shooting took place in Closter, New Jersey, and Harrison, New York. To simulate cocaine, vitamin D powder was used; Hill was hospitalized with bronchitis due to extensive inhalation during filming.

Editor Thelma Schoonmaker explained that the production employed digital cinematography instead of traditional film stock. Although Scorsese had historically preferred film, he shifted to digital for Hugo because of its 3D format. Despite The Wolf of Wall Street being shot in 2D and initially planned for digital capture, after pre-production testing most scenes were filmed on traditional stock. Digital cameras (Arri Alexa) were utilized primarily for green screen shots and low-light nighttime sequences. The project featured between 400 and 450 visual effects shots.

Profanity

This motion picture set a new Guinness World Record for the highest number of swear words used in a film. The term "fuck" appears 569 times, alongside other profanities such as "cunt" (three occurrences), "twat" (twice), "fuckface" (once), and "prick" (four times), averaging approximately 2.81 expletives per minute. Previous record holders included Scorsese’s own Goodfellas (300 uses) and Casino (422), as well as films like Menace II Society (305), Nil by Mouth (428), and Summer of Sam (435). Although later eclipsed by Swearnet: The Movie, which contains 935 uses of "fuck", this film retains the record among major theatrical releases.

In the United Arab Emirates, distributors excised 45 minutes of footage featuring profanity—including religious blasphemy—along with drug use, sexual content, and nudity; dialogue containing expletives was muted. Some viewers in the UAE expressed that banning the film outright would have been preferable to extensive censorship.

Theatrical

The Wolf of Wall Street had its debut at New York City's Ziegfeld Theatre on December 17, 2013, before expanding to a wide release on December 25. Originally set for a November 15 premiere, the release was delayed following edits that shortened the film’s length. Reports on October 22 indicated a Christmas release, which Paramount confirmed on October 29 with a runtime of 165 minutes, later extended to 180 minutes as of November 25. The Motion Picture Association assigned the film an R rating for "strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language throughout, and some violence." In the United Kingdom, the British Board of Film Classification rated it 18 due to "very strong language, strong sex [and] hard drug use."

Due to explicit material and profanity, the movie was prohibited in countries such as Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, and Zimbabwe, with additional scenes trimmed for the Indian market. In Singapore, modifications to a gay orgy sequence and removal of offensive language secured an R21 classification.

This release was notable as Paramount became the first major studio to distribute films solely through digital means, discontinuing the distribution of 35mm film prints. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues was the final Paramount film distributed on 35mm.

Home media

The DVD and Blu-ray versions of The Wolf of Wall Street were made available on March 25, 2014. Although a four-hour director's cut was initially planned for home release, Paramount ultimately confirmed that only the original theatrical cut would be included. A 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition was released later on December 14, 2021.

Box office

Worldwide, The Wolf of Wall Street earned $116.9 million in the United States and Canada and $289 million internationally, reaching a total gross of $406.9 million. This makes it Martin Scorsese’s highest-earning film to date.

In its opening weekend in the U.S., the film ranked fifth at the box office with $19.4 million across 3,387 theaters, accumulating $34.2 million over five days. Subsequent weekends saw earnings of $13.2 million and $8.8 million respectively, with the movie placing fourth on both occasions.

In Australia, it became the top-grossing R-rated film ever, generating $12.96 million.

Critical response

Peter Travers from Rolling Stone ranked it as the third-best film of 2013 behind 12 Years a Slave and Gravity. San Francisco Chronicle critic Mick LaSalle described it as "the best and most enjoyable American film" released that year. Richard Brody of The New Yorker lauded it as "Olympian," suggesting it stands among Scorsese’s most impressive achievements. Meanwhile, The Chicago Sun-Times's Richard Roeper awarded it a B+, labeling it "good but not great Scorsese."

Some reviewers like Dana Stevens from Slate regarded the movie as "epic in scale yet claustrophobically limited in scope," while Marshall Fine of The Huffington Post found its characters unengaging despite their grandiose delusions. Certain critics interpreted the film as irresponsibly glorifying Belfort and his cohorts rather than providing satirical commentary. Leonardo DiCaprio defended the portrayal by asserting that the film does not glamorize the excessive lifestyle shown.

In rankings, the film placed No. 78 in the BBC's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century in 2016. Richard Brody named it second-best film of the century so far in 2017 and later crowned it best film of the 2010s in 2019. By 2025, it achieved number 20 on The New York Times list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century" and ranked number 54 on their "Readers' Choice" list.

Audience response

Audience polling by CinemaScore yielded an average grade of "C," marking it as the lowest-rated film among that week’s new releases. The Los Angeles Times suggested that marketing efforts attracted conservative viewers who anticipated a more moralistic narrative than what was delivered.

Christina McDowell, daughter of Tom Prousalis who worked alongside Belfort at Stratton Oakmont, penned an open letter criticizing the movie for insufficiently representing victims harmed by Stratton Oakmont’s financial misconduct while glorifying individuals like her father undeserving of fame.

According to Steven Perlberg at Business Insider, finance professionals attending an early screening reacted with cheers during inappropriate moments—for instance when Belfort tears apart a couch cushion to retrieve cocaine.

Joel M. Cohen, former Assistant United States Attorney who prosecuted Belfort, condemned both the film and its source material for fabricating claims and exaggerating Belfort’s significance. He criticized the movie for overlooking thousands of victims who lost vast sums and disapproved of its conclusion showing Belfort promoting his motivational speaking business while repeating falsehoods used against those victims.

Top ten lists

The Wolf of Wall Street appeared frequently on numerous critics’ top ten lists for 2013 and was selected among that year’s top ten films by the American Film Institute. Metacritic ranked it ninth most frequently cited in critics' "best of" lists for 2013 and twenty-second for the decade overall.

• 1st – Sasha Stone, Awards Daily
• 1st – Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald
• 1st – Richard Brody, The New Yorker (tied with To the Wonder)

• 2nd – Wesley Morris, Grantland
• 2nd – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
• 2nd – Ben Kenigsberg, The A.V. Club

• 3rd – James Berardinelli, Reelviews
• 3rd – MTV
• 3rd – Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com
• 3rd – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
• 3rd – Emanuel Levy, Indiewire

• 4th – Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• 4th – Drew McWeeny, HitFix
• 4th – Yahoo! Movies
• 4th – Christopher Orr, The Atlantic
• 4th – Barbara Vancheri, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

• 5th – Caryn James, Indiewire
• 5th – Stephen Holden, The New York Times
• 5th – Rex Reed, The New York Observer
• 5th – Katey Rich, Vanity Fair
• 5th – David Chen, /Film

• 6th – TV Guide

• 7th – Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com
• 7th – Film School Rejects
• 7th – Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter
• 7th – Scott Tobias, The Dissolve
• 7th – Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood
• 7th – Mark Mohan, The Oregonian
• 7th – Sam Adams, The A.V. Club

• 8th – Nathan Rabin, The Dissolve
• 8th – Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
• 8th – Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News

• 9th – Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

• 10th  – Andrew O'Hehir,Salon.com
• 10th  – Jessica Kiang and Katie Walsh,Indiewire
• 10th  – A.O. Scott,The New York Times
• 10th  – Rene Rodriguez,Miami Herald
• 10th  – Marjorie Baumgarten,Austin Chronicle
• 10th  – Keith Uhlich,Time Out New York

• Top ten (unranked) lists:
  • James Verniere,Boston Herald
  • Stephen Whitty,The Star-Ledger
  • Joe Williams,St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Controversies

Use of animals

Various animals appear in The Wolf of Wall Street, including a chimpanzee, lion, snake, fish species, and dogs. The chimpanzee named Chance and lion were supplied by Big Cat Habitat in Florida; Chance was trained specifically to roller skate for scenes in the movie. The lion served as a symbol representing the depicted brokerage firm. Danny Porush denied animals were kept within office premises but acknowledged having eaten an employee’s goldfish.

In December 2013, animal welfare organization Friends of Animals condemned use of the chimpanzee in filming and called for a boycott over concerns about psychological harm to the animal. Similarly,People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)] campaigned against alleged mistreatment of ape actors and urged Leonardo DiCaprio not to participate in projects involving great apes.

1MDB scandal

In 2015, the production company Red Granite Pictures and its funding sources became entangled in the Malaysian corruption controversy linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission claimed that misappropriated 1MDB funds were used to finance the movie. Riza Aziz, the film’s producer and stepson of Najib Razak, was detained and denied money laundering allegations in 2019. Documents presented in court indicated that a firm controlled by fugitive businessman Jho Low provided $9 million to the filmmakers; Low was credited with a "special thanks" in the movie.

U.S. civil lawsuits named the film as a conduit for laundering illicit 1MDB proceeds. To resolve these claims, Red Granite agreed to pay $60 million without admitting guilt. This settlement was part of a larger U.S. initiative to recover $1.7 billion in assets allegedly purchased with stolen 1MDB funds. In 2020, Jordan Belfort initiated legal action against Red Granite for $300 million, seeking to annul his rights agreement after discovering the source of the film’s financing. Aziz was granted bail in May 2020.

Thematic controversy and debate

The film faced criticism for seemingly endorsing consumerism, avarice, and stark wealth disparities. Christina McDowell, whose father collaborated with Belfort, denounced the film for romanticizing sociopathic conduct and minimizing Belfort’s offenses amid ongoing financial scandals on Wall Street.

Whitney Friedlander of Variety characterized the movie as a "tribute" to extravagant affluence and excess. In contrast, Nikole TenBrink from the Risk and Insurance Management Society interpreted it as a cautionary narrative that demonstrates the repercussions of fraud while emphasizing Belfort’s compelling business tactics as instructive for risk management professionals.

Belfort's reaction

Jordan Belfort commended the film’s portrayal of the period’s spirit and camaraderie but remarked that his actual drug consumption was far more intense than depicted. He criticized the oversimplified depiction of his crimes as mere scams but acknowledged that such simplifications enhanced storytelling by emotionally engaging viewers.

Nadine Macaluso's reaction

In 2022, Nadine Macaluso, Belfort’s former wife, confirmed that the film accurately represented their relationship and expressed her intention to use her experience to increase awareness about domestic violence and unhealthy relationships.

Accolades

The motion picture earned five Academy Awards nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Scorsese), Best Adapted Screenplay (Winter), Best Actor (DiCaprio), and Best Supporting Actor (Hill). It also received four BAFTA nods including Best Director and Best Actor, alongside two Golden Globe Award nominations such as Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. DiCaprio secured the Golden Globe for Best Actor.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack features a blend of original scores and preexisting songs, released digitally on December 17, 2013. Although over 60 tracks are included in the film, only 16 appear on the official album, which includes compositions by Theodore Shapiro.