''The Lion in Winter'' is a 2003 made-for-television

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...

of the 1966 stage play of the same name and of the original 1968 screen version of the play which featured

Peter O'Toole Peter Seamus O'Toole (; 2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was a British stage and film actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began working in the theatre, gaining recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old V ...

and

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

. The film was first shown on December 26, 2003, in the UK and premiered on U.S. television on May 26, 2004. It starred

Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor who has a career spanning seven decades in various stage productions, television, film and video games. He has been nominated for Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actors ...

and Glenn Close, and was directed by

Andrei Konchalovsky Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky (russian: link=no, Андрей Сергеевич Михалков-Кончаловский; born 20 August 1937) is a Russian filmmaker. He has worked in Soviet, Hollywood, and contemporary Russian ...

. It was filmed on location at Spiš Castle in eastern

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

, interiors were filmed in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

Andrew Howard Andrew Howard (born June 12, 1969, in Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh theatre, television and film actor. Training Howard trained at Cygnet Training Theatre in Exeter in the late 1980s, touring in productions of ''A Christmas Carol'', ''Twelfth Night ...

, John Light, and Rafe Spall played the warring brothers.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers Jonathan Rhys Meyers (born Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keeffe; 27 July 1977) is an Irish actor, model and musician. He is known for his roles in the films ''Michael Collins'' (1996), '' Velvet Goldmine'' (1998), ''Titus'' (1999), '' Bend It Like ...

played the king of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

Julia Vysotskaya Julia Aleksandrovna Vysotskaya (russian: Юлия Александровна Высоцкая; born 16 August 1973) is a Russian actress and television presenter. Biography Julia Vysotskaya was born in Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, Russian ...

, his sister and Henry's mistress, Princess Alais.

Plot

In the year 1183, King Henry II of England, who also rules large parts of France within his

Angevin Empire The Angevin Empire (; french: Empire Plantagenêt) describes the possessions of the House of Plantagenet during the 12th and 13th centuries, when they ruled over an area covering roughly half of France, all of England, and parts of Ireland and W ...

, has invited his three surviving sons, his imprisoned and estranged wife Queen Eleanor and the king of France, who has recently come of age, to join him at his Christmas court at Chinon Castle. His eldest son Henry has died and now the king must decide upon a new heir. King Henry favours his youngest John. Eleanor favours the oldest son Richard. The film shows the intra-family disputes which take place over the next few days. At the end, everyone disperses with nothing resolved for the future.

Cast

as King Henry II * Glenn Close as Queen Eleanor *

Richard the Lionheart Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was overl ...

* John Light as Geoffrey * Rafe Spall as

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

as King Philip II *

as Alais * Clive Wood as Captain William Marshall

Reception

Brian Lowry of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote that the film "is a long sit but nevertheless a rewarding one". Of Close's performance, he wrote that "her Eleanor manages to stand apart from Hepburn's".

Awards and nominations

Won

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

s *Outstanding Costumes – Miniseries, Movie, or Special

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

s *Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film (Close)

Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

s *Outstanding Female Actor – Television Movie or Miniseries (Close)

Nominated

Costume Designers Guild The Costume Designers Guild, Local 892, is a union of professional costume designers, assistant costume designers, and illustrators working in film, television, commercials and other media. The CDG is not an employment agency, it is a labor union. ...

* Excellence in Costume Design for Television – Fantasy or Period

s * Outstanding Made for Television Movie * Outstanding Actress – Miniseries or Movie (Close) * Outstanding Directing – Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special * Outstanding Art Direction – Miniseries, Movie, or Special * Outstanding Hairstyling – Miniseries, Movie, or Special

s * Best Miniseries or Television Film * Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film (Stewart)

Producers Guild of America Award The Producers Guild of America Awards were originally established in 1990 by the Producers Guild of America as the Golden Laurel Awards, created by PGA Treasurer Joel Freeman with the support of Guild President Leonard Stern, in order to honor ...

s *Television Producer of the Year Award – Longform

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lion in Winter, The (2003 film) 2003 television films 2003 films 2003 drama films American drama films American LGBT-related television films American Christmas films Films about dysfunctional families Films set in castles Films set in France Films set in the 12th century Films shot in Slovakia Films shot in Budapest Films shot in Hungary Films directed by Andrei Konchalovsky Henry II of England Biographical films about English royalty Cultural depictions of Richard I of England Cultural depictions of Eleanor of Aquitaine Cultural depictions of John, King of England Television shows based on plays Television remakes of films American remakes of British films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films