Red Dawn

This article is about the 1984 film. For the 2012 remake, see Red Dawn (2012 film). For other uses, see Red Dawn (disambiguation).

Red Dawn
Original theatrical release poster by John Alvin
Directed by	John Milius
Screenplay by	Kevin Reynolds John Milius
Story by	Kevin Reynolds
Produced by	Buzz Feitshans Barry Beckerman Sidney Beckerman
Starring	Patrick Swayze C. Thomas Howell Lea Thompson Ben Johnson Harry Dean Stanton Ron O'Neal William Smith Powers Boothe
Cinematography	Ric Waite
Edited by	Thom Noble
Music by	Basil Poledouris
Production companies	United Artists Valkyrie Films
Distributed by	MGM/UA Entertainment Company
Release date	August 10, 1984 (1984-08-10)
Running time	114 minutes
Country	United States
Languages	English Spanish Russian
Budget	$17 million
Box office	$38 million

Red Dawn is a 1984 American action drama film directed by John Milius, from a screenplay co-written with Kevin Reynolds, and starring Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson and Jennifer Grey, with supporting roles played by Ben Johnson, Darren Dalton, Harry Dean Stanton, Ron O'Neal, William Smith and Powers Boothe. Set during a fictional World War III between an increasingly isolated United States and the Soviet Union, the film follows a group of teenage guerrillas, known as the Wolverines, fighting against a joint Soviet-Latin American invasion force in Colorado.

Despite mixed reviews from critics, the film became a commercial success, grossing $38 million against a budget of $17 million. It was the first film to be released in the United States with a PG-13 rating under the modified rating system introduced on July 1, 1984. A remake was released in 2012.