The Personal History of David Copperfield
“From rags to riches... and back again.”
Synopsis
A fresh and distinctive take on Charles Dickens’ semi-autobiographical masterpiece, The Personal History of David Copperfield, set in the 1840s, chronicles the life of its iconic title character as he navigates a chaotic world to find his elusive place within it. From his unhappy childhood to the discovery of his gift as a storyteller and writer, David’s journey is by turns hilarious and tragic, but always full of life, colour and humanity.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD | Official Trailer | Searchlight PicturesOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2020-02-13
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Dev Patel
David Copperfield
Peter Capaldi
Mr. Micawber
Ben Whishaw
Uriah Heep
Tilda Swinton
Betsey Trotwood
Gwendoline Christie
Jane Murdstone
Hugh Laurie
Mr. Dick
Anthony Welsh
Ham
Aneurin Barnard
Steerforth
Divian Ladwa
Dr. Chillip
Rosalind Eleazar
Agnes
Morfydd Clark
Clara Copperfield / Dora Spenlow
Benedict Wong
Mr. Wickfield
Paul Whitehouse
Daniel Peggotty
Daisy May Cooper
Peggotty
Daniel Fearn
Pawnbroker
Sophie McShera
Mrs. Crupp
Nikki Amuka-Bird
Mrs. Steerforth
Bronagh Gallagher
Mrs. Micawber
Release History & Theatrical Window
Toronto International Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
August 28, 2020
Wide Cinema Exhibition
February 11, 2021
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$15.6M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$11.6M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.74x
-$4M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Armando Iannucci
- Screenplay & Story
- Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci
- Original Score
- Christopher Willis
- Original Title
- The Personal History of David Copperfield
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 59m
- Production Budget
- $15.6M
- Worldwide Gross
- $11.6M
- Production Studios
- FilmNation Entertainment, Film4 Productions, Wishmore
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Armando Iannucci
Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Charles Dickens
Christopher Willis
Zac Nicholson
Peter Lambert, Mick Audsley
Glen Basner, Daniel Battsek, Simon Blackwell, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Ollie Madden
Department Leadership Roster
Sebastian Barker
Visual Effects Supervisor
Ingo Putze
Visual Effects Supervisor
Peter Lambert
Editor
Paul Kennington
Stunt Coordinator
Armando Iannucci
Director
Simon Blackwell
Screenplay
Armando Iannucci
Screenplay
Armando Iannucci
Producer
Kevin Loader
Producer
Zac Nicholson
Director of Photography
Christopher Willis
Original Music Composer
Suzie Harman
Costume Design
Cristina Casali
Production Design
Mick Audsley
Editor
Robert Worley
Costume Design
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 — Recommended for mature viewers.
FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Universal Public Exhibition — Unrestricted family viewing.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Personal History of David Copperfield.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Personal History of David Copperfield.
The Exceptionally Cute Side-Eye Flashing Flickers Project 2026 🫣 🐻❄️
A representation of everything I watched in 2026 -- named by the adorable and effervescent Floofy Miss Lucy!
My Movies
Master List In Progress
Dual Audio Hindi Movies 5 to 7
Automated renaming to: Dual Audio Hindi Movies 5 to 7
Dual Audio Hindi Movies
Automated renaming to: Dual Audio Hindi Movies
Limelight Not Seen
Favorite Actors
Similar Titles to The Personal History of David Copperfield
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.8
7.4
7.1
6.9
7.5
7.3
7.1
7.9
7.4
7.2
7.3
7.8
6.3
7.1
7.3
7.7
4.9
7.0
6.3
More Like The Personal History of David Copperfield
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Personal History of David Copperfield
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Personal History of David Copperfield about?
A fresh and distinctive take on Charles Dickens’ semi-autobiographical masterpiece, The Personal History of David Copperfield, set in the 1840s, chronicles the life of its iconic title character as he navigates a chaotic world to find his elusive place within it. From his unhappy childhood to the discovery of his gift as a storyteller and writer, David’s journey is by turns hilarious and tragic, but always full of life, colour and humanity.
Who directed The Personal History of David Copperfield?
The Personal History of David Copperfield was directed by Armando Iannucci.
Who stars in The Personal History of David Copperfield?
The principal cast of The Personal History of David Copperfield includes Dev Patel, Peter Capaldi, Ben Whishaw, Tilda Swinton, Gwendoline Christie.
When was The Personal History of David Copperfield released and how long is it?
The Personal History of David Copperfield was released in 2019 with a total runtime of 1h 59m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Personal History of David Copperfield?
The Personal History of David Copperfield had a reported production budget of $15.6M and grossed $11.6M at the worldwide box office (0.74 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for The Personal History of David Copperfield?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Personal History of David Copperfield was composed by Christopher Willis.
Is The Personal History of David Copperfield based on a book or true story?
The Personal History of David Copperfield is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Charles Dickens".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Personal History of David Copperfield?
The Personal History of David Copperfield holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); DE: 6 (FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); IN: U (Universal Public Exhibition — Unrestricted family viewing.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).