A Fish Called Wanda
A Fish Called Wanda is a 1988 slapstick farce heist black 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.
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| 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 |
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.