The Great Escaper

Not to be confused with The Great Escape (disambiguation).
The Great Escaper
Film poster
Directed byOliver Parker
Written byWilliam Ivory
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyChristopher Ross
Edited byPaul Tothill
Music byCraig Armstrong
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Entertainment UK
Release dates
  • 20 September 2023 (2023-09-20) (BFI Southbank)
  • 6 October 2023 (2023-10-06) (United Kingdom)
Running time
96 minutes[2]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • France
LanguageEnglish
Box office£3.8 million

The Great Escaper is a 2023 biographical comedy-drama film directed by Oliver Parker, written by William Ivory, and starring Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson. It is based on the true story of 90-year-old British World War II Royal Navy veteran Bernard Jordan who "broke out" of his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary D-Day commemorations in France in June 2014.[3][4]

The Great Escaper had its world premiere in London at BFI Southbank on 20 September 2023,[5] and was released in the United Kingdom on 6 October 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures.[3] The film marked the final performances for both lead actors: Jackson died in June 2023, nine months after filming finished; Caine announced his retirement from acting in October 2023.[6][7] This is also the last film produced by Pathé UK, after the division announced in November 2023 that they would restructure to focus on premium television and only release films from their parent company.[8]

Another film, The Last Rifleman starring Pierce Brosnan and released on 5 November 2023, is loosely based on Jordan's story.[9]

  1. ^ "The Great Escaper". BBC Film. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  2. ^ "The Great Escaper (12A)". BBFC. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b Gregory, Elizabeth (26 July 2023). "The Great Escaper: release date and plot for Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson's upcoming film". The Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  4. ^ Shoard, Catherine (29 September 2023). "'I'm 90. I worry if I'm gonna make it to lunch': Michael Caine and John Standing on wives, war and feeling like the Queen". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  5. ^ Silvia, Erin (20 September 2023). "Michael Caine, 90, Makes First Red Carpet Appearance in Years at 'The Great Escaper' London Premiere". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  6. ^ Parker, Oliver (19 June 2023). "I directed Glenda Jackson's final film – it was an astonishing few weeks". iNews. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  7. ^ McIntosh, Steven (14 October 2023). "Michael Caine confirms retirement from acting after The Great Escaper". BBC website. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Pathe U.K. Exits Film Distribution as Head of Film Cameron McCracken Retires". 15 November 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  9. ^ Tai, Anita (25 July 2022). "Pierce Brosnan Undergoes Amazing Transformation For 'The Last Rifleman'". Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2023.