Dennis the Menace (film)

Dennis the Menace
Theatrical release poster by Drew Struzan
Directed byNick Castle
Written byJohn Hughes
Based onDennis the Menace
by Hank Ketcham
Produced by
  • John Hughes
  • Richard Vane
Starring
CinematographyThomas E. Ackerman
Edited byAlan Heim
Music byJerry Goldsmith
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • June 25, 1993 (1993-06-25)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35 million
Box office$117 million

Dennis the Menace is a 1993 American comedy film based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip. It was directed by Nick Castle and written by John Hughes.

The plot concerns the misadventures of the mischievous child Dennis Mitchell (Mason Gamble) who menaces his next door neighbor George Wilson (Walter Matthau), usually hangs out with his friends Joey McDonald (Kellen Hathaway) and Margaret Wade (Amy Sakasitz), and is followed everywhere by his dog Ruff. Jeannie Russell, who plays Margaret in the 1959–1963 TV series, makes a cameo appearance.

Released in the United States on June 25, 1993 by Warner Bros., the film received generally negative reviews from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $117 million on a $35 million budget. A direct-to-video sequel, Dennis the Menace Strikes Again was released in 1998 and a second sequel, A Dennis the Menace Christmas, was released in 2007.