What is TMDB

The TMDB MCP server is an integration with The Movie Database API, providing functionalities such as movie information retrieval, search capabilities, and personalized recommendations based on user queries.

Use cases

Users can search for movies by keywords, explore trending films, receive recommendations based on specific movie IDs, and access detailed film data including cast, ratings, and overviews, making it ideal for movie enthusiasts and developers looking to enhance their applications with movie-related content.

How to use

To use the server, first obtain a TMDB API key and clone the project repository. After installing dependencies and building the project, configure the environment variable for the API key. If using Claude Desktop, set the server command in the application’s config file to integrate it seamlessly.

Key features

Key features include searching for movies based on queries, retrieving recommendations tailored to specific movie IDs, and accessing comprehensive movie data such as cast details and reviews, all formatted in user-friendly JSON responses.

Where to use

The server can be utilized within applications requiring movie data, chatbots, or any client-side software that benefits from accessing filmographic information, particularly in platforms that support server integration like Claude Desktop.

TMDB MCP Server

This MCP server integrates with The Movie Database (TMDB) API to provide movie information, search capabilities, and recommendations.

Prerequisites

Before installing and running the TMDB MCP server, ensure you have the following prerequisites installed and configured:

Required Software

• Node.js

  • Version 18.0.0 or higher
  • Download from Node.js official website
  • Verify installation: node --version

• npm (Node Package Manager)

  • Version 8.0.0 or higher (comes with Node.js)
  • Verify installation: npm --version

• TypeScript

  • Will be installed as a project dependency
  • Can be installed globally: npm install -g typescript
  • Verify installation: tsc --version

Required Accounts & API Keys

• TMDB Account

  • Free account at TMDB
  • API key from TMDB dashboard
  • API access must be approved by TMDB

• Claude Desktop Application

  • Latest version installed
  • Access to modify configuration files

System Requirements

• Operating Systems

  • macOS (10.15 or later)
  • Linux (modern distributions)

• Hardware Requirements

  • Minimum 4GB RAM
  • 1GB free disk space
  • Stable internet connection

Development Environment

For the best development experience, we recommend:

• A code editor with TypeScript support (e.g., VS Code)
• Terminal access
• Git (for version control)

Features

Tools

• search_movies

  • Search for movies by title or keywords
  • Input: query (string): Search query
  • Returns: List of movies with titles, release years, IDs, ratings, and overviews
  • Example: Search for movies about space exploration

• get_recommendations

  • Get movie recommendations based on a movie ID
  • Input: movieId (string): TMDB movie ID
  • Returns: Top 5 recommended movies with details
  • Example: Get recommendations based on movie ID 550 (Fight Club)

• get_trending

  • Get trending movies for a specified time window
  • Input: timeWindow (string): Either “day” or “week”
  • Returns: Top 10 trending movies with details
  • Example: Get today’s trending movies

Resources

The server provides access to TMDB movie information:

• Movies (tmdb:///movie/<movie_id>)

  • Comprehensive movie details including:
    • Title and release date
    • Rating and overview
    • Genres
    • Poster URL
    • Cast information (top 5 actors)
    • Director
    • Selected reviews
  • All data is returned in JSON format

  Getting Started

1. Get a TMDB API key:

   • Sign up at TMDB
   • Go to your account settings
   • Navigate to the API section
   • Request an API key for developer use

2. Clone and set up the project:

   git clone [repository-url]
   cd mcp-server-tmdb
   npm install
   

3. Build the server:

   npm run build
   

4. Set up your environment variable:

   export TMDB_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
   

Usage with Claude Desktop

To integrate this server with Claude Desktop, add the following to your app’s server configuration file (located at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tmdb": {
      "command": "/full/path/to/dist/index.js",
      "env": {
        "TMDB_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace /full/path/to with the actual path to your project directory.

Installing via Smithery

To install TMDB Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @Laksh-star/mcp-server-tmdb --client claude

Example Usage

Once the server is running with Claude Desktop, you can use commands like:

1. Search for movies:

   "Search for movies about artificial intelligence"
   

2. Get trending movies:

   "What are the trending movies today?"
   "Show me this week's trending movies"
   

3. Get movie recommendations:

   "Get movie recommendations based on movie ID 550"
   

4. Get movie details:

   "Tell me about the movie with ID 550"
   

Error Handling

The server includes comprehensive error handling for:

• Invalid API keys
• Network errors
• Invalid movie IDs
• Malformed requests

Error messages will be returned in a user-friendly format through Claude Desktop.

Development

To watch for changes during development:

npm run watch

License

This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.