10,000 BC (film)

2008 film by Roland Emmerich February 2025 September 2025 Ten thousand b c.jpg A prehistoric man wielding a spear crouches at the edge of a cliff, face-to-face with a saber-toothed tiger. A landscape featuring pyramids is seen in the background. Theatrical release poster Roland Emmerich Roland Emmerich Harald Kloser Michael Wimer Roland Emmerich Mark Gordon Steven Strait Camilla Belle Cliff Curtis Ueli Steiger Alexander Berner Harald Kloser Thomas Wander Legendary PicturesHazelton John 10000 BC Reviews https://www.screendaily.com/10000-bc/4037615.article Screen Daily February 4, 2025 March 5, 2008 Centropolis Entertainment Warner Bros. Pictures 2008 2 10 Potsdamer Platz 2008 3 7 United States 109 minutes United States English $105 million $269.8 million 10,000 BC is a 2008 American action-adventure film, directed by Roland Emmerich, and written by Emmerich and Harald Kloser. The cast includes Steven Strait, Camilla Belle, and Cliff Curtis. The film depicts the journeys of a prehistoric tribe of mammoth hunters. 10,000 BC premiered at Potsdamer Platz on February 10, 2008, and was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on March 7. It received negative reviews from critics and grossed $270 million against a $105 million budget. Plot In 10,000 BC, a hunter-gatherer tribe called the Yagahl lives in the Ural Mountains. They survive by hunting woolly mammoths, but as the migrations grow scarcer, uncertainty about their future mounts. When a young blue-eyed girl is brought to their camp, the Yagahl's shaman, Old Mother, prophesies that "four-legged demons" will come for them after their last mammoth hunt. The girl, Evolet, will be betrothed to the hunt's champion, and the pair will lead the Yagahl into a new way of life. Unwilling to trust this prophecy, the tribe's chief hunter and bearer of the White Spear sets out on his own to find another way to save his people. He entrusts his friend Tic'Tic with the White Spear and his young son D'Leh. D'Leh falls in love with Evolet and promises to keep her in his heart forever. Years later, when the mammoths finally return, the adult D'Leh hunts them with his tribe's men under Tic'Tic's leadership. He proves himself against his rival Ka'Ren when he kills one almost single-handedly, winning the White Spear and Evolet. However, because his triumph was more accidental than brave, he gives up both. The next day, horse-mounted riders attack the camp. They slaughter several villagers and abduct Evolet and other tribe members. D'Leh, Tic'Tic, Ka'Ren, and a young boy, Baku, set out to rescue their fellow Yagahl as Old Mother follows their journey in spirit. During a terror bird attack, the slavers capture Ka'Ren and Baku. D'Leh and Tic'Tic find their way to a sedentary Naku village that the riders also attacked. Thanks to a saber-tooth tiger D'Leh previously rescued, which recognizes him and does not attack, the initially hostile Naku join D'Leh, whom they see as their prophesied savior. They also learn that D'Leh's father was a Naku guest before the riders captured him. Several tribes arrive to form a coalition to defeat the slavers, with D'Leh as their leader. They discover an advanced Egyptian civilization ruled by the "Almighty", an untouchable god-king, who is using the kidnapped tribesmen along with some mammoths to build pyramids. D'Leh and Tic'Tic sneak into the slave cages, and D'Leh learns that his father was killed trying to defend a slave. The party is spotted by the guards, whom Tic'Tic kills, but not before he is fatally wounded. Before he dies, he gives D'Leh the White Spear. D'Leh and the tribesmen infiltrate the civilization and start a rebellion among the slaves, killing many of the Almighty's forces. However, Ka'Ren sacrifices himself as D'Leh eventually starts a mammoth stampede. The Almighty threatens to kill Evolet if they do not abandon their rebellion. D'Leh feigns acceptance but kills the Almighty with the White Spear, breaking his illusion of godhood. During the ensuing battle, Evolet is fatally wounded. D'Leh is devastated when Evolet dies in his arms, but her life is restored in exchange for Old Mother's, who dies having fulfilled her final duty. With the Almighty dead and his civilization destroyed, the Yagahl bid the other tribes farewell and return home with seeds D'Leh's father collected, given to them by the Naku to begin a new life. Alternate ending In an alternative ending, the scene shifts forward many years, showing Baku retelling the story by the campfire. It ends with a child asking what had happened to the "Mountains of the Gods," and Baku responds, "They were taken back by the sands. Lost to time—and lost to man." Cast Steven Strait as D'Leh, a manak hunter Camilla Belle as Evolet, D'Leh's wife and the only survivor of a tribe which was destroyed by the "four-legged demons" (fierce warriors on horseback)spared because of her unique blue eyes Cliff Curtis as Tic'Tic, D'Leh's mentor and friendShawn Adler http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/06/29/emmerich-heads-back-in-time-for-10000-bc/ Emmerich Heads Back In Time For '10000 B.C.' MTV June 29, 2007 July 11, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070702164347/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/06/29/emmerich-heads-back-in-time-for-10000-bc/ July 2, 2007 Joel Virgel as Nakudu, leader of the Naku tribe Affif Ben Badra as Warlord, the leader of the "Four Legged Demons" Mo Zinal as Ka'Ren Nathanael Baring as Baku Marco Khan as One-Eye, Warlord's main henchman Mona Hammond as Old Mother, the Neanderthal shaman of the Yahgdal Joel Fry as Lu'Kibu Reece Ritchie as Moha Piers Stubbs as Young Moha Junior Oliphant as Tudu, Nakudu's son Kristian Beazley as D'Leh's father, who had lived with the Naku tribe and learned agriculture from them Boubacar Babiane as Quina, leader of another tribe Farouk Valley-Omar as the High Priest Tim Barlow as The Almighty, last of three kings and the last of the Atlanteans Omar Sharif as Narrator Historical accuracy The film incorporates numerous anachronisms and inaccuracies in its depiction of prehistoric life. While woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers may have existed as late as 10,000 B.C., both species were on the brink of extinction around this time, likely due to a combination of human hunting, disease, and climate change. The film's portrayal of mammoth behavior, suggesting that herds were led by a male leader, is inconsistent with evidence from modern elephant behavior, which indicates that herds are typically led by older females, with males expelled at puberty.Wilson Chris https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2008/03/is-10000-b-c-realistic.html How Realistic Is 10,000 B.C.? Slate March 17, 2008 January 21, 2025 The inclusion of advanced civilizations, pyramid-like monuments, written language, and metal tools in the narrative is highly inaccurate. Such developments did not emerge until approximately 3,000 B.C., during the urbanization of regions such as the Nile, Euphrates, and Indus river valleys. Early evidence of agriculture dates back to around 9,400 B.C., but organized farming and the use of tools like hoes would not have been widespread at the time depicted in the film. Additionally, while some early stone monuments, such as Göbekli Tepe, date to roughly 9,000 B.C., the advanced technology shown in the film, including metal tools and the sextant, is misplaced by several millennia. Production Casting thumb|Camilla Belle Routh portrayed Evolet in 10,000 BC Roland Emmerich opened casting sessions in late October 2005.Michael Fleming October 5, 2005 Sci-fi guy follows primal instinct Variety https://variety.com/2005/film/markets-festivals/sci-fi-guy-follows-primal-instinct-1117930197/ live August 20, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20071013165054/https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117930197.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 October 13, 2007 In February 2006, Camilla Belle and Steven Strait were announced to star in the film, with Strait as the mammoth hunter and Belle as his love interest. Emmerich decided that casting well known actors would distract from the realistic feel of the prehistoric setting. "If like, Jake Gyllenhaal turned up in a movie like this, everybody would be, 'What's that?'", he explained. The casting of unknown actors also helped keep the film's budget down.Adam Smith News Etc. Empire 16 January 2008 Development At the 2008 Wondercon, Emmerich mentioned the fiction of Robert E. Howard as a primary influence for the film's setting, as well as his love for the film Quest for Fire (1981) and the book Fingerprints of the Gods.https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=42310 WonderCon 2008: Day 2 - Part 1! - ComingSoon.net ComingSoon.net February 24, 2008 February 27, 2015 January 2, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140102231630/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=42310 dead He invited composer Harald Kloser to help write the screenplay after he liked his story suggestions to The Day After Tomorrow.http://filmfestivaltraveler.com/film-arts/film-arts-interviews/605-2012-interview-writer-producer-harald-kloser Writer-Producer Harald Kloser of New-to-DVD "2012" February 4, 2022 February 4, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220204190227/http://filmfestivaltraveler.com/film-arts/film-arts-interviews/605-2012-interview-writer-producer-harald-kloser live When the project received the greenlight from Columbia Pictures, screenwriter John Orloff began work on a new draft of the original script. Columbia Pictures, under Sony Pictures Entertainment, dropped the project due to a busy release calendar, and Warner Bros. Pictures picked up the project in Sony's absence.Pamela McClintock https://variety.com/2006/film/features/warners-goes-on-time-trek-1117937113/ Warners goes on time trek Variety January 30, 2006 August 20, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20101126225725/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117937113?categoryid=1236&cs=1&s=h&p=0 November 26, 2010 live mdy-all LaPorte Nicole The script went through a second revision with Matthew Sand and a final revision with Robert Rodat. Production began in early 2006 in South Africa and Namibia.Borys Kit https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002075091 Strait, Belle fight for mankind The Hollywood Reporter February 27, 2006 August 20, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060313055619/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002075091 March 13, 2006 dead Location filming also took place in southern New Zealandhttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060509006136/en/Principal-Photography-Commences-Epic-Adventure-10000-B.C. Principal Photography Commences on the Epic Adventure 10,000 B.C, Directed by Roland Emmerich for Warner Bros. Pictures Business Wire May 9, 2006 February 2, 2017 March 6, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170306210647/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060509006136/en/Principal-Photography-Commences-Epic-Adventure-10000-B.C. deviated and Thailand. Emmerich wanted to shoot the entire film in Africa but was barred from shooting a certain helicopter scene which led to them going to New Zealand for those shots.https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/roland-emmerich-interview-moonfall-1235080389/ Roland Emmerich, Master of Disaster, Returns to Big-Screen Cataclysms With 'Moonfall' The Hollywood Reporter January 27, 2022 January 30, 2022 December 31, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221231182827/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/roland-emmerich-interview-moonfall-1235080389/ live Couch Aaron Before shooting began, the production had spent eighteen months on research and development for the computer-generated imagery. Two companies recreated prehistoric animals. To cut time (it was taking sixteen hours to render a single frame) 50% of the CGI models' fur was removed, as "it turned out half the fur looked the same" to the director. Filming took place for a total of 102 days, 20 days longer than planned. Language Emmerich rejected making the film in an ancient language, deciding that it would not be as emotionally engaging.March 5, 2008 Exclusive CS Featurette: 10,000 BC ComingSoon.net https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=42418 March 5, 2008 March 7, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080307080707/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=42418 dead Dialect coach Brendan Gunn was hired by Emmerich and Kloser to create "a half dozen" languages for the film.http://www.steven-online.org/press/ Steven – Online II Press Archive steven-online.org February 2, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100121171114/http://www.steven-online.org/press/ January 21, 2010 Gunn has stated that he collaborated informally with Strait to improvise what the languages would sound like. He also used some local African languages and their dialects, including the Oshiwambo language native to Namibia, which can be heard faintly, spoken by the wise blind man.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3670457/How-I-told-Brad-Pitt-to-mind-his-language.html How I told Brad Pitt to mind his language – Telegraph The Daily Telegraph London February 2, 2010 Brendan Gunn January 13, 2008 June 5, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110605071531/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3670457/How-I-told-Brad-Pitt-to-mind-his-language.html live Visual and sound effects The woolly mammoths in the movie were based on elephants and fossils of mammoths, while the saber-toothed cat was based on tigers and ligers (a lion/tiger hybrid).http://www.howstuffworks.com/10000-bc.htm/printable Introduction to Inside "10,000 BC" - HowStuffWorks HowStuffWorks March 6, 2008 February 27, 2015 February 27, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150227185654/http://www.howstuffworks.com/10000-bc.htm/printable live Miller Gerri The sounds made by the saber-toothed cat in the movie are based on the vocalization of tigers and lions.http://designingsound.org/2008/03/10000-b-c-exclusive-interview-with-supervising-sound-editors-simon-gershon-and-jeremy-price/ 10,000 B.C. – Exclusive Interview with Supervising Sound Editors Simon Gershon and Jeremy Price February 27, 2015 February 27, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150227192655/http://designingsound.org/2008/03/10000-b-c-exclusive-interview-with-supervising-sound-editors-simon-gershon-and-jeremy-price/ dead March 31, 2008 Riehle Jake Release The film's world premiere was held on February 10, 2008, at Sony Center on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin.Welt Online February 26, 2008 Emmerich feiert Start seines Steinzeit-Films (German) https://www.welt.de/berlin/article1725206/Emmerich_feiert_Start_seines_Steinzeit-Films.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20080317000648/http://www.welt.de/berlin/article1725206/Emmerich_feiert_Start_seines_Steinzeit-Films.html March 17, 2008 March 11, 2008 Die Welt deHilary Whiteman March 3, 2008 10,000 BC: The premiere (English) http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/03/03/emmerich.premiere/index.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20080307185645/http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/03/03/emmerich.premiere/index.html March 7, 2008 March 11, 2008 CNN Reception Box office The film was a moderate success at the box office. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $35.8 million in 3,410 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking No. 1 at the box office, and grossing over $22 million more than the film in second place, College Road Trip.https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=10000bc.htm 10,000 B.C. (2008) – Weekend Box Office Results March 16, 2008 Box Office Mojo April 17, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090417214323/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=10000bc.htm live http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/09/bc.boxoffice.ap/index.html '10,000 B.C.' roars to top of box office March 9, 2008 CNN https://web.archive.org/web/20080605175207/http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/09/bc.boxoffice.ap/index.html June 5, 2008 dead March 10, 2008 The film grossed approximately $268.6 million worldwide—$94.6 million in the United States and Canada and $174 million in other territorieshttps://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=10000bc.htm 10,000 B.C. (2008) April 6, 2008 Box Office Mojo October 1, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20071001000244/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=10000bc.htm live —including $17.2 million in Mexico, $13.1 million in Spain, $11.3 million in the United Kingdom, and $10.8 million in China. This also makes it the first film of 2008 to surpass the $200 million mark.https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&id=10000bc.htm 10,000 B.C. (2008) – International Box Office Results March 30, 2008 Box Office Mojo April 17, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090417214722/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&id=10000bc.htm live Critical response score 3.4 count With attention strictly paid to style instead of substance, or historical accuracy, 10,000 B.C. is a visually impressive but narratively flimsy epic. yes access date Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 34 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.10,000 BC https://www.metacritic.com/movie/10000-bc Metacritic Fandom, Inc. 11 April 2026 Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale. https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title Cinemascore :: Movie Title Search https://web.archive.org/web/20180206073531/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title February 6, 2018 CinemaScore October 2, 2022 Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote: "Conventional where it should be bold and mild where it should be wild, 10,000 BC reps a missed opportunity to present an imaginative vision of a prehistoric moment."Todd McCarthy Todd McCarthy https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/10-000-bc-1200536051/ 10,000 BC Variety March 6, 2008 March 25, 2019 November 11, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211111053920/https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/10-000-bc-1200536051/ live Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote: "Roland Emmerich's great big CGI blockbuster lumbers along like one of the woolly mammoths that roam across the screen."Peter Bradshaw Peter Bradshaw https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/mar/14/actionandadventure.periodandhistorical 10,000 BC The Guardian March 14, 2008 March 25, 2019 October 20, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191020231230/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/mar/14/actionandadventure.periodandhistorical live Caroline White, writing for The Times, noted that 10,000 BC is archaeologically inaccurate and contains many factual errors and anachronisms.White Caroline The 10 most historically inaccurate movies The Times http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6738785.ece August 4, 2009 subscription August 5, 2009 London https://web.archive.org/web/20110615070116/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6738785.ece June 15, 2011 Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post described the film as "one part Joseph Campbell hero quest, one part multi-culti morality tale, one part live-action Flintstones cartoon, 10,000 B.C. is finally every part just plain nuts."Hornaday Ann 2008-03-07 '10,000 B.C.': Clan Of the CGI Geeks https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/style/2008/03/07/10000-bc-clan-of-the-cgi-geeks/63b8667c-7ddf-45b9-bc7f-832c14032961/ 2026-05-26 The Washington Post en-US 0190-8286 Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune was one of the few critics who enjoyed the film. He said, "The film's a little bit of Apocalypto, mixed in with Ice Age 2, a dash of Quest for Fire, and sometimes, you're just in the mood for a big old piece of cheese. Folks, here is that cheese on a cracker."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j2omQZAxh0 10,000 B.C. reviewed by Michael Phillips YouTube March 7, 2008 February 22, 2025 Awards AccoladesComposer Thomas Wander won a BMI Film Music Award for his work on the film.May 22, 2008 2008 BMI Film/TV Awards https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/2008_bmi_film_tv_awards September 17, 2021 BMI.com March 17, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230317031531/https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/2008_bmi_film_tv_awards live Home media The film was released on June 17, 2008, in single-disc editions on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in the United States. Best Buy released a 2-disc limited edition along with the DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases. It was released on July 1, 2008, in the United Kingdom.http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/5305386/10-000-BC/Product.html 10,000 BC (10000 BC) Optical Media Releases Play.com January 11, 2017 June 26, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080626041537/http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/5305386/10-000-BC/Product.html dead The film grossed $31,341,721 in DVD sales, bringing its total film gross to $300,414,491.https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2008/10KBC.php 10,000 B.C. February 27, 2015 December 20, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131220142954/http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2008/10KBC.php live The Numbers See also List of American films of 2008 One Million Years B.C. – A similar film released in 1966 Quest for Fire – A similar film released in 1981 References External links 2000s Film United States Category:2008 films Category:2000s epic films Category:2000s action adventure films Category:2008 fantasy adventure films Category:2008 American films Category:2008 English-language films Category:American epic films Category:American action adventure films Category:American fantasy adventure films Category:Films about cavemen Category:Films about hunter-gatherers Category:Films about animal hunting Category:Films directed by Roland Emmerich Category:Films with screenplays by Harald Kloser Category:Films with screenplays by Roland Emmerich Category:Films produced by Roland Emmerich Category:Films produced by Mark Gordon (producer) Category:Films scored by Harald Kloser Category:Films scored by Thomas Wander Category:Films set in Egypt Category:Films set in Europe Category:Films set in the Stone Age Category:Casting controversies in film Category:Films shot in Namibia Category:Films shot in New Zealand Category:Films shot in South Africa Category:Films about Neanderthals Category:Films set in prehistory Category:English-language fantasy adventure films Category:English-language action adventure films Category:Fictional-language films Category:Legendary Pictures films Category:Centropolis Entertainment films Category:Warner Bros. films