The Dead
“A vast, merry, and uncommon tale of love.”
Synopsis
After a convivial holiday dinner party, things begin to unravel when a husband and wife address some prickly issues concerning their marriage.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
John Huston Directs His Final FilmOfficial
Type: Behind the Scenes • Published 2026-01-21
Top Cast
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Anjelica Huston
Gretta Conroy
Donal McCann
Gabriel Conroy
Dan O'Herlihy
Mr. Browne
Helena Carroll
Aunt Kate
Cathleen Delany
Aunt Julia
Ingrid Craigie
Mary Jane
Donal Donnelly
Freddy Malins
Colm Meaney
Mr. Bergin
Rachael Dowling
Lily
Marie Kean
Mrs. Malins
Frank Patterson
Bartell D'Arcy
Lyda Anderson
Miss Daly
Kate O'Toole
Miss Furlong
Bairbre Dowling
Miss Higgins
Maria McDermottroe
Molly Ivors
Sean McClory
Mr. Grace
Brendan Dillon
Cabman
Paul Grant
1st Young Gentleman
Release History & Theatrical Window
Venice Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
December 17, 1987
Wide Cinema Exhibition
June 23, 2006
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$3.5M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$4.4M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.25x
+$870K net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Huston
- Screenplay & Story
- Tony Huston, James Joyce
- Original Score
- Alex North
- Original Title
- The Dead
- Country of Origin
- Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 23m
- Production Budget
- $3.5M
- Worldwide Gross
- $4.4M
- Production Studios
- Liffey Films, Vestron Pictures, Zenith Entertainment, Delta Film GmbH, Channel 4 Television
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Huston
Tony Huston, James Joyce
Alex North
Fred Murphy
Roberto Silvi
William J. Quigley, Wieland Schulz-Keil, Chris Sievernich
Department Leadership Roster
John Huston
Director
Tony Huston
Writer
J. Dennis Washington
Production Design
Fred Murphy
Director of Photography
Stephen B. Grimes
Production Design
Roberto Silvi
Editor
Wieland Schulz-Keil
Producer
Chris Sievernich
Producer
Alex North
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Dead.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Dead.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:30:01 UTC+8)*
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Dead
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Dead about?
After a convivial holiday dinner party, things begin to unravel when a husband and wife address some prickly issues concerning their marriage.
Who directed The Dead?
The Dead was directed by John Huston.
Who stars in The Dead?
The principal cast of The Dead includes Anjelica Huston, Donal McCann, Dan O'Herlihy, Helena Carroll, Cathleen Delany.
When was The Dead released and how long is it?
The Dead was released in 1987 with a total runtime of 1h 23m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Dead?
The Dead had a reported production budget of $3.5M and grossed $4.4M at the worldwide box office (1.25 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for The Dead?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Dead was composed by Alex North.
Is The Dead based on a book or true story?
The Dead is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "James Joyce".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Dead?
The Dead holds official age classifications: US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).