The Favourite is a 2018 historical period comedy-drama film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara. It is a co-production of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The story focuses on the behind-the-scenes politics between two cousins jockeying to be court favourites during the reign of Queen Anne in the early 18th century. It stars Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn, James Smith, and Mark Gatiss. Filming took place at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire and Hampton Court Palace, Richmond upon Thames, between March and May 2017.
The Favourite had its world premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on 30 August 2018, where it won two awards: the Grand Jury Prize and the Volpi Cup for Best Actress (for Colman). It was then theatrically released in the United States on 23 November 2018, by Fox Searchlight Pictures. The film was praised for its screenplay, direction, cinematography, music, costume design, production values, and the performances of the three female leads. The American Film Institute selected it as one of the top 10 films of 2018, and among other accolades, it received five Golden Globes nominations, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.