Dangerous Liaisons
“Lust. Seduction. Revenge. The game as you've never seen it played before.”
Synopsis
In 18th century France, Marquise de Merteuil asks her ex-lover Vicomte de Valmont to seduce the future wife of another ex-lover of hers in return for one last night with her. Yet things don’t go as planned.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Stephen Frears on Dangerous Liaisons | BFIOfficial
Type: Featurette • Published 2015-12-08
Top Cast
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Glenn Close
Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil
John Malkovich
Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont
Michelle Pfeiffer
Madame Marie de Tourvel
Uma Thurman
Cécile de Volanges
Swoosie Kurtz
Madame de Volanges
Keanu Reeves
Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny
Mildred Natwick
Madame de Rosemonde
Peter Capaldi
Azolan
Joe Sheridan
Georges
Valerie Gogan
Julie
Laura Benson
Emilie
Joanna Pavlis
Adèle
Nicholas Hawtrey
Major-domo
Paulo Abel Do Nascimento
Castrato
François Lalande
Curé
François Montagut
Belleroche
Harry Jones
Armand
Christian Erickson
Bailiff
Release History & Theatrical Window
Los Angeles, California
Festival / Special Debut
December 21, 1988
Wide Cinema Exhibition
July 27, 1989
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$14M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$34.7M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
2.48x
+$20.7M net gain
Theatrical Status
Profitable
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Stephen Frears
- Screenplay & Story
- Christopher Hampton
- Original Score
- George Fenton
- Original Title
- Dangerous Liaisons
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 59m
- Production Budget
- $14M
- Worldwide Gross
- $34.7M
- Production Studios
- Lorimar Film Entertainment, NFH Films, Warner Bros. Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Stephen Frears
Christopher Hampton, Choderlos de Laclos
George Fenton
Philippe Rousselot
Mick Audsley
Hank Moonjean, Norma Heyman
Department Leadership Roster
Christopher Hampton
Screenplay
Hank Moonjean
Producer
George Fenton
Original Music Composer
James Acheson
Costume Design
Norma Heyman
Producer
Philippe Rousselot
Director of Photography
Stephen Frears
Director
Mick Audsley
Editor
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
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 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 Dangerous Liaisons.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Dangerous Liaisons.
Movie Collection
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)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Dangerous Liaisons
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Dangerous Liaisons about?
In 18th century France, Marquise de Merteuil asks her ex-lover Vicomte de Valmont to seduce the future wife of another ex-lover of hers in return for one last night with her. Yet things don’t go as planned.
Who directed Dangerous Liaisons?
Dangerous Liaisons was directed by Stephen Frears.
Who stars in Dangerous Liaisons?
The principal cast of Dangerous Liaisons includes Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman, Swoosie Kurtz.
When was Dangerous Liaisons released and how long is it?
Dangerous Liaisons was released in 1988 with a total runtime of 1h 59m.
What was the box office and production budget of Dangerous Liaisons?
Dangerous Liaisons had a reported production budget of $14M and grossed $34.7M at the worldwide box office (2.48 return on budget, classified as a commercial hit).
Who composed the musical score for Dangerous Liaisons?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Dangerous Liaisons was composed by George Fenton.
Is Dangerous Liaisons based on a book or true story?
Dangerous Liaisons is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Choderlos de Laclos".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Dangerous Liaisons?
Dangerous Liaisons holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: TP; GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).