The Manhattan Project
Paul Stevens' high school science project has gotten a little out of hand. He just built an atomic bomb. Now he's got 11 hours to make sure it doesn't work.
1986 | 118m | English
Popularity: 2 (history)
| Director: | Marshall Brickman |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Marshall Brickman, Thomas Baum |
| Staring: |
| A gifted high school student steals plutonium from the secret nuclear weapons facility in his home town in order to construct his own nuclear bomb, win a national science fair, and expose the government's secrets. | |
| Release Date: | Jun 13, 1986 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Marshall Brickman |
| Writer: | Marshall Brickman, Thomas Baum |
| Genres: | Science Fiction, Thriller |
| Keywords | bomb, helicopter, plutonium, laser, heist, fugitive, scientist, nuclear, project |
| Production Companies | Gladden Entertainment |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $3,900,000
Budget: $18,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Oct 24, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| John Lithgow | John Mathewson |
| Christopher Collet | Paul Stephens |
| Cynthia Nixon | Jenny Anderman |
| Jill Eikenberry | Elizabeth Stephens |
| John Mahoney | Lt. Col. Conroy |
| Richard Jenkins | Radiation Controls Officer |
| Robert Sean Leonard | Max |
| Steve Blum | Laser Efficiency Kid (as Richard Cardona) |
| Sarah Burke | Jenny's Parent |
| Robert Schenkkan | Government Aide |
| Richard Council | Government Aide |
| Fred Melamed | Howard |
| Ned Eisenberg | C-4 Guy (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Marshall Brickman | Director, Writer |
| Juliet Taylor | Casting |
| Philip Rosenberg | Production Design |
| Nina Feinberg | Editor |
| Shay Cunliffe | Costume Design |
| Bran Ferren | Visual Effects Director |
| Thomas Baum | Writer |
| Robert Guerra | Art Direction |
| Nina Ramsey | Set Decoration |
| Hank Muller | Assistant Camera |
| Philippe Sarde | Original Music Composer |
| Billy Williams | Director of Photography |
| Roy Farfel | Stunts |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Marshall Brickman | Producer |
| Jennifer Ogden | Producer |
| Roger Paradiso | Associate Producer |
| Bruce McNall | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 8 |
| 2024 | 5 | 13 | 17 | 8 |
| 2024 | 6 | 16 | 28 | 7 |
| 2024 | 7 | 16 | 34 | 9 |
| 2024 | 8 | 11 | 18 | 8 |
| 2024 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 6 |
| 2024 | 10 | 10 | 17 | 5 |
| 2024 | 11 | 11 | 32 | 6 |
| 2024 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 | 9 | 14 | 5 |
| 2025 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | 347 | 595 |