tmdb-mcp-server — Claude Code MCP server for movie search
This server gives an AI agent access to TMDB search, film and TV details, recommendations, and trends. Use it to explore titles or people without leaving a chat.
claude mcp add tmdb-mcp-server -e TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN=<TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN> -- npx -y tmdb-mcp-serverWhat tmdb-mcp-server does
The server exposes tools for searching movies and TV shows, retrieving their details, and finding cast and crew credits. Movie discovery can filter by genre, language, year range, rating, and sort order; TV discovery offers its own filters. Agents can also look up entertainment professionals, get biographical details, and check daily or weekly trends.
A TMDB access token is required and must be supplied as TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN. In Claude Code, the server starts through npx and communicates over stdio. Without the token, requests to TMDB cannot work. An HTTP transport is also available for remote deployment.
What it helps with
- search for films using a title or filters
- retrieve a movie’s budget, runtime, and credits
- get suggestions based on a specific film
- look up TV series seasons and episodes
- check trending movies, shows, or people
Example prompts for the agent
- Find movies matching this genre and release year.
- Show the cast and budget for The Matrix.
- Which TV shows are trending now?
How to install tmdb-mcp-server
Platform CLI
claude mcp add tmdb-mcp-server -e TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN=<TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN> -- npx -y tmdb-mcp-serverReplace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
codex mcp add tcehjaava-tmdb-mcp-server --env TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN=<TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN> -- npx -y tmdb-mcp-serverReplace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"tcehjaava-tmdb-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"tmdb-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"servers": {
"tcehjaava-tmdb-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"tmdb-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN=<TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN> tcehjaava-tmdb-mcp-server npx -y tmdb-mcp-serverReplace <…> with your own values
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about tmdb-mcp-server
How do I install tmdb-mcp-server in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add tmdb-mcp-server -e TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN=<TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN> -- npx -y tmdb-mcp-server and replace the placeholder with your TMDB token.
What does tmdb-mcp-server do?
It lets an agent search TMDB for films, TV shows, and people, then retrieve details, recommendations, and trend listings.
What does tmdb-mcp-server need to run?
It requires a TMDB access token provided through TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN. In Claude Code, it runs with npx over stdio.
