Original USA International One Sheet Double Sided movie poster Japanese Zero artwork. Note the absence of a ratings box.Pearl Harbor is a 2001 American romantic period war drama film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer and written by Randall Wallace. It stars Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, Josh Hartnett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight and Alec Baldwin. The film is loosely based on the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, and the Doolittle Raid. The film was a major box office success, earning $59 million in its opening weekend and, in the end, nearly $450 million worldwide. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning in the category of Best Sound Editing.