Yes—technically there’s no direct sequel, but Fierce Creatures (1997) is widely seen as the spiritual successor to A Fish Called Wanda, bringing back John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin for another round of farcical chaos.
Did A Fish Called Wanda have a sequel?
Fierce Creatures (1997) is the closest thing to a sequel, though it’s officially called a spiritual successor rather than a direct follow-up.
Three of the four main actors—John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Kevin Kline—reunite with Michael Palin in this follow-up, directed by Fred Schepisi and Robert Welch. Both films thrive on absurd betrayals and chaotic heist antics, making Fierce Creatures a thematic cousin rather than a literal one. As Cleese put it, the two films are “like cousins who look nothing alike but share the same DNA.”
A Fish Called Wanda premiered in the U.S. on July 15, 1988.
Two months earlier, on May 24, 1988, it hit UK theaters. The film became a critical and commercial smash, pulling in over $80 million worldwide on a $7.5 million budget. It’s still a benchmark in British farce cinema and a staple in film schools for its razor-sharp script and impeccable comic timing.
As of 2026, you can stream or rent A Fish Called Wanda on Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, and Redbox.
Physical copies—Blu-ray and DVD—are still sold by major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Just keep an eye on regional licensing, because streaming options can vary outside the U.S. or UK.
A Fish Called Wanda was shot on location across London, with key scenes filmed in Battersea, specifically at Culvert Place under a railway arch.
The infamous thief-in-a-lock-up scene takes place in a converted Victorian railway arch, now a well-known filming location for local tours. Other scenes were shot at Pinewood Studios and around London landmarks, giving the film its authentic British chaos.
The film is rated R for strong language, simulated sex, infidelity, nudity, and criminal behavior that goes unpunished.
The MPAA flagged “language, sexual content, and some violence” as the main reasons for the R rating. Even though it’s a comedy, the themes of betrayal, theft, and murder—played for laughs—push it well beyond family-friendly territory. Most parents reserve it for mature teens.
No—Kevin Kline didn’t eat real fish; the prop was made of Jell-O, though he did offer to eat live fish on set.
Kline has mentioned in interviews that he volunteered to chow down on actual fish, but the crew nixed the idea. The gelatin props looked convincing enough to sell the gag without harming any animals. It’s one of the film’s most memorably absurd moments.
A Fish Called Wanda won one Oscar: Kevin Kline took home Best Supporting Actor in 1989.
It also earned three more Oscar nods, including Best Director for Charles Crichton and Best Original Screenplay. The film cemented Kline’s comedic chops and helped revive interest in British farce in Hollywood. It’s still one of the few pure comedies to win an acting Oscar in decades.
The film ends with Archie and Wanda escaping to Rio de Janeiro with the stolen jewels, while Ken avenges himself on Otto by running him over with a steamroller—but Otto survives.
The final shot shows Archie and Wanda driving off into the sunset, suggesting a new life built on stolen wealth and mutual deception. Ken’s steamroller revenge is darkly comic and physically absurd, a perfect cap to the film’s theme: crime doesn’t pay, but it sure is funny when it doesn’t.
Archie (John Cleese) is reciting “The Prayer” by Mikhail Lermontov in Russian, though he learned it phonetically and had no idea what it meant.
The poem, also known as “V prayerzhenii,” is about longing and spiritual surrender. Cleese later admitted he had no clue what he was saying, which just adds to the scene’s absurd charm. It’s a cult favorite among fans of unintentional multilingual comedy.
Wanda is an angelfish—specifically a freshwater angelfish, likely from the Pterophyllum genus.
Ken (Michael Palin) names all his tropical fish, and Wanda is the one he claims to love most. The fish became an unintentional symbol of the film’s quirky charm, and the name has since popped up in pop culture as shorthand for absurd devotion.
A Fish Called Wanda was directed by Charles Crichton, with a screenplay co-written by John Cleese and Crichton himself.
Crichton, best known for classic British comedies like The Lavender Hill Mob, brought a disciplined touch to the chaotic script. His collaboration with Cleese bridged decades of comedic tradition, resulting in a film that feels both timeless and distinctly British.
No—A Fish Called Wanda isn’t kid-friendly thanks to strong language, mature themes, and R-rated content.
It’s hilarious for adults and teens familiar with British humor, but jokes about infidelity, theft, and violence make it unsuitable for kids under 13. Some parents opt for edited TV versions, but even those keep the mature themes intact. Think of it as a date-night comedy, not a family film.
What year did the movie A Fish Called Wanda come out?
A Fish Called Wanda premiered in the U.S. on July 15, 1988.
