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Nicholas Hytner

Nicholas Hytner

Director and producer, also actor · Born May 7, 1956 (70) · Manchester, England, UK

BAFTA Award winner · 2 other major award bodies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner (born 7 May 1956) is an English film and theatre producer and director. He has been the artistic director of London's National Theatre since 2003. Description above from the Wikipedia article Nicholas Hytner, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 7, 1956 (70)
From
Manchester, England, UK
Works as
Director and producer, also actor
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 35 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 10% in 30 days

What are Nicholas Hytner's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
35%
Bonds
16%
Society
16%
Power
9%
Ideas
9%
Morality
8%
Survival
7%
Identity5 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 2 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 9 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 7 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
6
Warm
6
Tense
5
Bittersweet
5
Hopeful
4
Other
12

How their films linger

Thought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Nicholas Hytner's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (2).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Nicholas Hytner's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

35 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Giant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director

  • The Choral(2025)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Allelujah(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • National Theatre Live: Straight Line Crazy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director

  • National Theatre Live: The Book of Dust — La Belle Sauvage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Stage Director

  • Beat the Devil(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Alan Bennett's Talking Heads(2020)

    Show 12 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • National Theatre Live: A Midsummer Night's Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Creative Director

  • National Theatre Live: Julius Caesar(2018)

    Director · Stage Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • National Theatre Live: Young Marx (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • The Lady in the Van(2015)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • National Theatre Live: The Hard Problem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director · Stage Director

  • National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • National Theatre Live: Othello (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • National Theatre Live: People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Stage Director

  • National Theatre Live: Timon of Athens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • National Theatre Live: Travelling Light (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • National Theatre Live: Collaborators (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • National Theatre Live: One Man, Two Guvnors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Stage Director

  • The Metropolitan Opera: Don Carlo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director

  • National Theatre Live: Hamlet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Stage Director

  • National Theatre Live: London Assurance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director

  • National Theatre Live: The Habit of Art (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Stage Director

  • National Theatre Live: Phèdre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Stage Director

  • Don Carlo - ROH (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Così fan tutte (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Stage Director

  • The History Boys(2006)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Center Stage(2000)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Twelfth Night, or What You Will(1998)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Object of My Affection(1998)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Crucible(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Madness of King George(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • La Clemenza Di Tito (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Pebbles in the Flood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Stephen

  • Great Performances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Director

Career shape

A full career of 35 titles, 34 of them dated from 1971 to 2025.

Biggest box office

The Object of My Affection (1998)

$47M worldwide

Highest rated

National Theatre Live: Julius Caesar (2018)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

The Choral (2025)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 35: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting28 of 35: 18 only directing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thProducing6 of 35: 2 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndOther crew10 of 35: 4 only other crew, 6 with another role

35 titles, 10 with more than one role — directing and other crew overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1970s2 · 1 acting · 1 crew1990s5 · crew2000s5 · crew2010s16 · crew2020s6 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

a BAFTA Award from 5 major nominations, 1995–1997.

WinNomination
  1. 1997
    • Berlinale award, nominated · Best Film
  2. 1996
    • BAFTA Award, won
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
  3. 1995
    • Cannes award, nominated

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Nicholas Hytner's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 12 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · producer

Beat the Devil (2021)

87th percentile spread · 20% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

National Theatre Live: Julius Caesar (2018)

Midcredits 96th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 51/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Nicholas Hytner's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films and violence & gore, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles7–48 · median 25 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles19–53 · median 43 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles30–62 · median 54 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles5–35 · median 18 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles14–42 · median 23 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Nicholas Hytner work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nicholas Hytner's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; George Fenton shares the most, 8.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers