How a rejected comedy script became the world's most expensive cinema ticket

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When EMI Films pulled funding just days before production, the Monty Python troupe faced disaster. Former Beatle George Harrison stepped in, personally financing the film for 3 million pounds. He later joked he simply wanted to see the movie, effectively purchasing the most expensive cinema ticket in history.

Released in 1979, Life of Brian follows Brian Cohen, a man born next door to Jesus who is repeatedly mistaken for the Messiah. While the troupe had previously lampooned Arthurian legend in their 1975 hit Holy Grail, they found Jesus’s own teachings decent and difficult to mock. Instead, they focused their satire on the era’s fractious political movements and the absurdity of religious fanaticism.

The production was an international affair, filmed on location in Tunisia using sets previously constructed for Franco Zeffirelli’s 1977 film Jesus of Nazareth. The shoot was famously challenging, marked by creative friction between director Terry Jones and set designer Terry Gilliam. Gilliam, who contributed the film’s iconic animated sequences and matte paintings, famously inserted a sci-fi sequence involving a spaceship to resolve a plot hole, capitalizing on the then-current popularity of Star Wars.

The film’s release was met with intense controversy, including accusations of blasphemy and widespread protests. In the United Kingdom, the British Board of Film Classification initially gave it an AA rating, yet 11 local councils banned it entirely. These bans, which also occurred in countries like Ireland and Norway, were ironically used by the filmmakers as promotional material. Despite the backlash, the film was a major box office success, ranking as the fourth highest-grossing film in the UK in 1979.

Behind the scenes, the film underwent significant editing. Several scenes were cut to improve pacing, including a controversial subplot involving a character named Otto, an extremist leader whose dialogue drew parallels between Zionism and Nazism. While official accounts cited narrative flow, some historians argue this was a form of self-censorship to ensure American distribution. Today, the film remains a cultural touchstone, frequently cited as one of the greatest comedies ever produced.

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