In the years before the Civil War, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South. Subjected to the cruelty of one malevolent owner (Michael Fassbender), he also finds unexpected kindness from another, as he struggles continually to survive and maintain some of his dignity. Then in the 12th year of the disheartening ordeal, a chance meeting with an abolitionist from Canada changes Solomon's life forever.<br /><br />12 Years a Slave is a 2013 biographical drama film directed by Steve McQueen from a screenplay by John Ridley, based on the 1853 slave memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, an African-American who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. by two conmen in 1841 and sold into slavery. He was put to work on plantations in the state of Louisiana for 12 years before being released. The first scholarly edition of Wilson's version of Northup's story was co-edited in 1968 by Sue Eakin and Joseph Logsdon.<br /><br />Rating: R (Some Nudity|Brief Sexuality|Violence/Cruelty)<br />Genre: History, Drama, Biography<br />Original Language:English<br />Director: Steve McQueen<br />Producer: Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas<br />Writer: John Ridley<br />Release Date (Theaters): Oct 18, 2013 <br />Release Date (Streaming): Mar 4, 2014<br />Box Office (Gross USA): $56.7M<br />Runtime: 2h 14m<br />Distributor: Fox Searchlight