Wilde
“Loved for being unique. Hated for being different.”
Synopsis
Oscar Wilde is a married playwright who has occasionally indulged his weakness for male suitors. After much toil, Wilde debuts 'The Importance of Being Earnest' in London, and a chat at the theatre with Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas leads to a full-fledged romance. However, this affair leads to a legal dispute with Lord Alfred's oppressive father, the Marquess of Queensberry, and, given the local anti-gay laws, Wilde is jailed. Wilde's vast intellect helps him survive until he regains his freedom.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Oscar Wilde - Trailer (1997)
Type: Trailer • Published 2017-12-28
Top Cast
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Stephen Fry
Oscar Wilde
Jude Law
Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas
Vanessa Redgrave
Lady Speranza Wilde
Jennifer Ehle
Constance Lloyd Wilde
Gemma Jones
Lady Queensberry
Judy Parfitt
Lady Mount-Temple
Michael Sheen
Robbie Ross
Zoë Wanamaker
Ada Leverson 'Sphinx'
Tom Wilkinson
Marquess of Queensberry
Ioan Gruffudd
John Gray
Orlando Bloom
Rent Boy
James D'Arcy
First Friend
Andrew Havill
Algernon
Jason Morell
Ernest Dowson
Jamie Lee
Second Friend
Matthew Mills
Lionel Johnson
Peter Barkworth
Charles Gill
Adam Garcia
Jones
Release History & Theatrical Window
September 1, 1997
Wide Cinema Exhibition
October 4, 1999
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$10M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$2.2M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.22x
-$7.8M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Brian Gilbert
- Screenplay & Story
- Julian Mitchell
- Original Score
- Arthur Sullivan, Debbie Wiseman
- Original Title
- Wilde
- Country of Origin
- Germany, Japan, United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 58m
- Production Budget
- $10M
- Worldwide Gross
- $2.2M
- Production Studios
- Dove International, Pandora Film, BBC Film, Capitol Films, samuelson productions, Neue Deutsche Filmgesellschaft, Pony Canyon
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Brian Gilbert
Julian Mitchell, Richard Ellmann
Arthur Sullivan, Debbie Wiseman
Martin Fuhrer
Michael Bradsell
Alex Graham, Marc Samuelson, Peter Samuelson, Michiyo Yoshizaki, Michael Viner
Department Leadership Roster
Julian Mitchell
Screenplay
Alex Graham
Producer
Martin Fuhrer
Director of Photography
Arthur Sullivan
Original Music Composer
Michael Bradsell
Editor
Brian Gilbert
Director
Marc Samuelson
Producer
Peter Samuelson
Producer
Debbie Wiseman
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Wilde.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Wilde.
LGBTQ+
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
(Movies) LGBTQ Themes
Period Dramas
Biographies
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IMDb Archive
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Frequently Asked Questions About Wilde
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Wilde about?
Oscar Wilde is a married playwright who has occasionally indulged his weakness for male suitors. After much toil, Wilde debuts 'The Importance of Being Earnest' in London, and a chat at the theatre with Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas leads to a full-fledged romance. However, this affair leads to a legal dispute with Lord Alfred's oppressive father, the Marquess of Queensberry, and, given the local anti-gay laws, Wilde is jailed. Wilde's vast intellect helps him survive until he regains his freedom.
Who directed Wilde?
Wilde was directed by Brian Gilbert.
Who stars in Wilde?
The principal cast of Wilde includes Stephen Fry, Jude Law, Vanessa Redgrave, Jennifer Ehle, Gemma Jones.
When was Wilde released and how long is it?
Wilde was released in 1997 with a total runtime of 1h 58m.
What was the box office and production budget of Wilde?
Wilde had a reported production budget of $10M and grossed $2.2M at the worldwide box office (0.22 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Wilde?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Wilde was composed by Arthur Sullivan, Debbie Wiseman.
Is Wilde based on a book or true story?
Wilde is adapted from the following source material: Book: "Richard Ellmann".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Wilde?
Wilde holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).