The Devil's Advocate (1997 film)

The Devil's Advocate
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Taylor Hackford
Screenplay by	Jonathan Lemkin Tony Gilroy
Based on	The Devil's Advocate by Andrew Neiderman
Produced by	Arnon Milchan Arnold Kopelson Anne Kopelson
Starring	Keanu Reeves Al Pacino Charlize Theron Jeffrey Jones Judith Ivey Craig T. Nelson
Cinematography	Andrzej Bartkowiak
Edited by	Mark Warner
Music by	James Newton Howard
Production companies	Regency Enterprises Kopelson Entertainment
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	October 17, 1997 (1997-10-17)
Running time	144 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$57 million[2]
Box office	$153 million[2]

The Devil's Advocate (marketed as Devil's Advocate) is a 1997 American supernatural horror film directed by Taylor Hackford, written by Jonathan Lemkin and Tony Gilroy, and starring Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, and Charlize Theron. Based on Andrew Neiderman's 1990 novel of the same name, it is about a gifted young Florida lawyer invited to work for a major New York City law firm. As his wife becomes haunted by frightening visions, the lawyer slowly realizes the firm's owner, John Milton, is in fact the Devil.

The name John Milton is one of several allusions to Paradise Lost, as well as Dante Alighieri's Inferno, and the legend of Faust. An adaptation of Neiderman's novel went into a development hell during the 1990s, with Hackford gaining control of the production. Filming took place around New York City and Florida.

The Devil's Advocate received mixed reviews, with critics crediting it for entertainment value and Pacino's performance. It grossed over $153 million at the box office and won the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film. It also became the subject of the copyright lawsuit Hart v. Warner Bros., Inc. for its visual art.