A Fish Called Wanda
| A Fish Called Wanda | |
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US theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Charles Crichton |
| Screenplay by | John Cleese |
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| Produced by | Michael Shamberg |
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| Cinematography | Alan Hume |
| Edited by | John Jympson |
| Music by | John Du Prez |
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Running time | 108 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $7.5 million |
| Box office | $188.6 million |
A Fish Called Wanda is a 1988 heist comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and written by Crichton and John Cleese. It stars Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin. The film follows a gang of diamond thieves who double-cross one another to recover stolen diamonds hidden by their jailed leader. His barrister becomes a central figure – and jealousies rage – as femme fatale Wanda seduces him to locate the loot.
The picture grossed over $188 million worldwide, becoming the seventh-highest-grossing film of 1988. It received three nominations at the 61st Academy Awards: Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Kline, which he would go on to win. A spiritual sequel, Fierce Creatures, was released in 1997. The British Film Institute ranked A Fish Called Wanda the 39th-greatest British film of the 20th century.