The Happy Prince (2018 film)


The Happy Prince is a 2018 biographical drama film about Oscar Wilde, written by, directed by, and starring Rupert Everett in his directorial debut. The film stars Everett, Colin Firth, Colin Morgan, Emily Watson, Edwin Thomas and Tom Wilkinson. It premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and was shown at the 2018. At the 9th Magritte Awards, it received a nomination in the category of Best Foreign Film.
The film's title alludes to the children's story by Oscar Wilde, The Happy Prince and Other Tales, which Wilde would read aloud to his children. The film was released in Italy on 12 April 2018, in the United Kingdom on 15 June 2018 and in the United States on 10 October 2018 to positive review from critics.

Plot

Cast

on the film began in mid-September 2016 in Bavaria, Germany. Filming was also done in France, Belgium and Italy. BBC Films produced the film, with Lionsgate UK handling UK distribution.

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 72% based on 132 reviews, and an average rating of 6.51/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A passion project for writer, director, and star Rupert Everett, The Happy Prince pays effective tribute to Oscar Wilde with a poignant look at his tragic final days." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
The BBC's Alan Yentob produced a TV documentary of the story of Everett's long journey in obtaining funding and support for the film. The documentary took some five years to make, and was completed in 2018, after the film's premiere.