Pirate Radio Movie

On Air. Off shore. Out of Control..
Also known as The Boat That Rocked

Who's Involved:

Kenneth Branagh, Tim Bevan, Nick Frost, Eric Fellner, Bill Nighy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris O'Dowd, January Jones, Liza Chasin, Richard Curtis, Jack Davenport, Hilary Bevan-Jones, Rhys Ifans, Tom Sturridge, Debra Hayward, Ralph Brown

Release Date:

Friday, November 13, 2009 In Theaters (Nationwide)

Age Rating: R   Restricted MPA
for language and sexual content
Runtime: 2 hrs, 15 m
Language: English

Pirate Radio Plot: What's it about?

Inspired by the British pirate radio revolution in the '60s, the majority of the film's shoot will take place in a large rusty metal fishing trawler moored off the coast of England in the very waters that kept the rock of the '60s booming into the U.K.

In 1966 -- arguably British pop music's finest era -- the BBC played only two hours of rock and roll every week. But pirate radio blasted rock and pop from the high seas 24 hours a day. And 25 million people -- more than half the population of Britain -- listened to these pirates every single day.

"The Boat That Rocked" is an ensemble comedy in which the romance takes place between the young people of the '60s and pop music. It's about a band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that, incomprehensibly, preferred jazz. Leading the cast are Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Count, a big, brash, American god of the airwaves; Bill Nighy as Quentin, the boss of Radio Rock -- a pirate radio station in the middle of the North Sea that's populated by an eclectic crew of rock and roll DJs; Rhys Ifans as Gavin, the greatest DJ in Britain who has just returned from his drug tour of America to reclaim his rightful position; Nick Frost as Dave, an ironic, intelligent and cruelly funny co-broadcaster; and Kenneth Branagh (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Hamlet) as British Minister Dormandy, a fearsome government official out for blood against the drug takers and lawbreakers of a once-great nation.

Watch at home: Rent or buy

Pirate Radio Cast List & Characters

Instant Poll

Will you see Pirate Radio?

Your Rating

Watched it? Rate it!

Click a star — it only takes a second.

Audience Score

Insider users

Ratings submitted by Movie Insider users.

4.58 / 5 stars ( 12 users )

Pirate Radio Crew and Production Team

A look at the Pirate Radio behind-the-scenes crew and production team. The film's director Richard Curtis previously directed About Time and Love Actually.

Studio / Distributor

Production Company

Pirate Radio Trailers & Videos

Pirate Radio trailer

Pirate Radio

International Trailer

Pirate Radio Production and Filming

Pirate Radio Filming Timeline

  1. — Pirate Radio entered Completed status.

    Awaiting release by the distributor; a release date may or may not be available.

Pirate Radio Release Date: When was the film released?

Pirate Radio was released nationwide on . The film opened in approximately 882 theaters. Six other films are opening on the same date, including 2012, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Uncertainty.

DVD & Blu-ray Release Date

Pirate Radio was released on DVD and Blu-ray on . Buy your copy of Pirate Radio today on Amazon.

Digital, VOD & Streaming Release Date

Pirate Radio is available now through digital retailers because its DVD and Blu-ray release date has already passed.

Pirate Radio FAQ

Looking for more information on Pirate Radio?

We may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page.

Across the Web