The Favourite

The Favourite is a 2018 period black comedy film co-produced and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, from a screenplay by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara. Set in early 18th century Great Britain, the film's plot examines the relationship between cousins Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (Rachel Weisz) and Abigail Masham (Emma Stone), who are vying to be Court favourite of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman). Co-produced by studios based in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States, principal photography lasted from March to May 2017 and took place at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire and at Hampton Court Palace.

The Favourite premiered on 30 August 2018 at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for Colman. It was theatrically released in the United States on 23 November 2018 by Fox Searchlight Pictures, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 1 January 2019. The film became a box office success, grossing $95 million worldwide on a $15 million budget.

The Favourite received critical acclaim, especially for the performances of the three leads and Lanthimos' direction, and it received numerous awards and nominations, including ten Academy Award nominations, tying Roma for the most nominations of that year. The Favourite also won seven BAFTA Awards (including Best British Film and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Weisz) and ten British Independent Film Awards. Colman won Best Actress at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the BAFTAs. The film was ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2018. The film also won eight European Film Awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress for Colman.