<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $20--22 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $187.7 million </Td> </Tr> <P> 12 Years a Slave is a 2013 period drama film and an adaptation of the 1853 slave narrative memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a New York State - born free African - American man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. by two conmen in 1841 and sold into slavery . Northup was put to work on plantations in the state of Louisiana for 12 years before being released . The first scholarly edition of Northup's memoir, co-edited in 1968 by Sue Eakin and Joseph Logsdon, carefully retraced and validated the account and concluded it to be accurate . Other characters in the film were also real people, including Edwin and Mary Epps, and Patsey . </P> <P> The film was directed by Steve McQueen . The screenplay was written by John Ridley . Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup . Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, and Alfre Woodard are all featured in supporting roles . Principal photography took place in New Orleans, Louisiana, from June 27 to August 13, 2012 . The locations used were four historic antebellum plantations: Felicity, Bocage, Destrehan, and Magnolia . Of the four, Magnolia is nearest to the actual plantation where Northup was held . </P>

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