The story of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a familiar one that has been told many times, but somehow it manages to retain freshness each time a new iteration is served to movie lovers. The summer movie is based upon Paul Gallico’s 1958 bestseller novel of the same title, Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris which is the first of what became a beloved novel series of four books with each chronicling Mrs. Arris’ adventurous sojourn to a different place – Paris, New York, Parliament, and Moscow. The first adaptation of the novel came as a Studio One TV series released in the same year the book was published. A West German TV film followed before Angela Lansbury’s 1992 TV movie version with Lansbury doubling as the lead and co-producer and her son Anthony Shaw serving as the director.
While a couple of stage musicals have played out in UK theaters, the Anthony Fabian-directed 2022 remake of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is the first time that the book is being reimagined for the big screen. Fabian also leads the quartet of screenwriters for the movie which includes Carroll Cartwright, Keith Thompson, and Olivia Hetreed. Playing the titular role of Ada Harris in this latest adaptation is Lesley Manville who is no stranger to the 1950s – the same period when her Academy Award-winning movie Phantom Thread was set. Manville earned the Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her role as Cyril Woodcock. Some of Manville’s recent outings include Misbehaviour and Let Him Go. Manville will be continuing her exploits with period pieces in the penultimate and final seasons of Netflix’s The Crown where she will portray Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris also stars professional ice queen, Isabelle Huppert (Elle) in the role of House of Dior’s chief clerk Claudine Colbert. Colbert poses as the first obstacle that English charwoman Harris encounters upon her arrival in Paris on her quest to purchase for herself a French couture dress she is so enamored by. Rounding off the cast are Lambert Wilson, Alba Baptista, Lucas Bravo, Ellen Thomas, Rose Williams, and Jason Isaacs. The movie was made in a collaboration with the House of Dior. Having begun filming in 2019, its progress was delayed by the COVID-19 Pandemic, because of which its release date was pushed a few weeks further from May 6 to July 15. Fans of the novel series have been anticipating the release of the remake since it was announced to be in production. Many were impressed by the trailer released in April 2022 as it was met with an outpour of positive reactions. If you are also anticipating the feel-good spirit that the new adaptation promises, here is your handy guide on how and where you can watch Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.
Is Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris in Theaters?
Focus Features will be releasing Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris in US theaters on July 15. UK audiences will have to wait about a couple of months later to screen the movie, which will hit their theaters on September 30.
Will Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Be Available on Streaming and VOD?
Announcing the release of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, Focus Features used the phrase “only in theaters,” thus for now the movie will not be streaming on any of the streaming platforms. However, this is not ruling out the possibility of it getting released for streaming in the near future. A handful of films from the Comcast company stream on Peacock, so chances are that it will also serve as the streaming home to Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. The movie will also likely be available for rent and purchase shortly. Stay tuned to Collider for updates on when the movie becomes available on streaming and demand.
Watch the Official Trailer for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Focus Features released the official trailer for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris on April 27, 2022. The 2:45-minute video showcases the whimsical nature of the story. The titular character Ada Harris, a widowed charwoman is seen enamored by a Christian Dior dress she spots in one of her client’s homes. “500 quid for a dress?” she exclaims when she learns of the cost from the owner, but the hefty price tag is not enough to stop her intended quest to own one for herself. More obstacles abound when she arrives in Paris, but they are all surmounted by her passion and tenacity. The widow’s adventure also seems to lead her to the arms of a new lover.
What Is Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris About?
Here is the official synopsis for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris:
A new adaptation of Paul Gallico's much-loved novel about a cleaning lady in 1950s London who falls in love with an haute couture dress by Christian Dior and decides to gamble everything for the sake of this folly.
More Movies Like Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris That You Might Like
Phantom Thread: Phantom Thread shares some similarities with Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris – it’s a period piece set in 1950s London. It stars Leslie Mansville and also explores the element of fashion. The 2017 Paul Thomas Anderson-directed drama follows couture dressmaker, Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis), and his fashion exploits designing custom dresses for British high society and European royals. He finds a new muse in Alma Elson (Vicky Krieps), a foreign waitress who also becomes his lover. Woodcock’s toxic masculinity becomes apparent as their relationship progress, but a strong-willed Alma is unyielding to his dominant personality. Their dysfunctional relationship begins to hurt Woodstack’s fashion business much to the chagrin of his sister Cyril (Leslie Manville) who demands that he ends his relationship with Alma. Phantom Thread is currently available to stream on Netflix and can be rented or purchased on Apple TV, Direct TV, and Amazon Video among other VOD platforms.
The Dressmaker: The Dressmaker is an adaptation of Rosalie Ham’s 2000 novel of the same name. Written and directed by Aussie screenwriter Jocelyn Moorhouse, the comedy-drama is set in the 1950s in Dungatar, a fictional Australian outback. It follows Paris-trained dressmaker, Myrtle Dunnage (Kate Winslet) who returns home on a revenge mission years after she was exiled for a murder she did not commit. Myrtle’s return sees her take care of her mentally ill mother while also using her alluring couture dresses as a divisive tool to investigate the death of her classmate for which she was wrongly framed. The Dressmaker is available to stream on Netflix and Prime Video.
The Devil Wears Prada: The Devil Wears Prada is a classic feel-good tale about the behind-the-scenes happenings of the fashion industry with the iconic Meryl Streep portraying the character of Miranda Priestly, a fictionalized version of Vogue’s Ana Wintour. Anna Hathaway plays Andy a recent college graduate who decides to settle for a job as Priestly’s assistant for a year while hoping to land her dream job of becoming a reporter. However, she soon finds that she has perhaps bitten more than she can chew as her boss proves to be a constant nightmare. The Devil Wears Prada is available to stream on Hulu and can be rented or purchased on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, and VUDU.