Ealing Studios' Production of the Oscar Wilde Classic

Dorian Gray opens at cinemas throughout UK

The new Autumn blockbuster, Dorian Gray, is the latest offering from our own legendary Ealing Studios and features an array of home grown acting talent including Chiswick's Colin Firth, Ben Barnes, Rebecca Hall, and Emilia Fox.

The film is a modern reinterpretation of Oscar Wilde’s only published novel - The Picture of Dorian Gray.

It's directed by Oliver Parker who is currently filming the second St. Trinians film (some of which has been shot around W5) and is produced by head of Ealing Studio, Barnaby Thompson.

When a strikingly beautiful but naïve young Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes) arrives in Victorian London he is swept into a social whirlwind by the charismatic Henry Wotton (Colin Firth), who introduces Dorian to the hedonistic pleasures of the city.

Henry’s friend, society artist Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin) paints a portrait of Dorian to capture the full power of his youthful beauty and when it’s unveiled Dorian makes a flippant pledge: he would give anything to stay as he is in the picture – even his soul.

Realising his portrait has taken on an evil and disturbing air, manifesting his depravity and debauchery while his own beautiful face goes unmarked by his deeds, it is locked it away in the attic.

His wild adventures escalate and he is forced by his own actions to flee the country.

Dorian returns twenty-five years later, to the surprise of his old friends his youthful appearance is unchanged.

Jaded by having found pleasure but never happiness, he is haunted by the monstrous painting in the attic.  His fear and paranoia grow as rumours of his misdeeds circulate. As Dorian’s last chance for love and redemption is threatened he is forced to risk his own immortality.

The film takes a gothic look at the darker side of human nature, exploring those ever present themes - obsession with celebrity, the desire for eternal youth and the distortion of human values by vice and temptation.

Not a typical ‘period drama’ Dorian Gray delves into the ills of Victorian society and holds a mirror up to our own.