Film · 2017

The Zookeper's Wife

Name: The Zookeper's Wife
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Released: 2017-03-31
Duration: 127 min
Rating: 6.7
Cast: Natasa Burger, Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Brühl, Iddo Goldberg

Original titleThe Zookeeper's Wife

Directed by Niki Caro · starring Natasa Burger, Jessica Chastain and Johan Heldenbergh

2 h 7 min
12
Biography · Drama · History
USA UK
Released in the UK 20 April 2017

6.2 AverageMovieNCo
6.7 Users7 votes
5.6 Critics7 reviews

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Synopsis

This historical drama is directed by Niki Caro ('Whale Rider', 'North Country') and written by Angela Workman. It is based on a true story, told in the homonymous book written by Diane Ackerman. Jessica Chastain and Johan Heldenbergh play the Zabinski couple. Jan and Antonina Zabinski were the owners of a zoo in the town of Warsaw, Poland, during the Second World War. This married couple went down in history for saving countless Jews' lives, by keeping them hidden in the animal cages of their zoo. 'The Zookeeper's Wife' tells the story of how they put their lives at risk in order to hide hundreds of people from the eye of the German Army. Among the cast, we can also find actor Daniel Brühl.

Where to watch The Zookeper's Wife

All the options

Available now in the UK:

Availability checked on 8 November 2026.

The essentials

Runtime: 127 min2 hours and 7 minutes
Budget: $20mCzech Anglo Productions
Box office: $17.1m0.9 times its budget
Rating: 12Suitable for 12 years and over

How long is The Zookeper's Wife?: 2 hours and 7 minutes (127 minutes).
When was The Zookeper's Wife released in the UK?: It was released in the UK on 20 April 2017.
Who directed The Zookeper's Wife?: Niki Caro.
Who is in The Zookeper's Wife?: It stars Natasa Burger, Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh and Daniel Brühl.
Where can I watch The Zookeper's Wife?: In the UK it is available to rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.
How much did The Zookeper's Wife make?: It took $17.1 million in US. It cost $20 million.

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Cast

Full cast (14)

Director: Niki Caro
Producers: Jessica Chastain, Michael Tollin
Cinematography: Andrij Parekh

Videos and trailers

All 3 videos

'The Zookeepers's Wife' Trailer 2:2019 November 2016

Photos and posters

All 14 photos

+6 photosand 2 posters

Reviews

All 7 reviews

6.7 7 votes

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What the critics say average 5.6 from 7 outlets

6.7 IndiewireDavid Ehrlich And decency, in its raw, instinctive form, is ultimately what earns ?The Zookeeper?s Wife? a place in the self-conflicted canon of Holocaust cinema. Read
6.7 Entertainment WeeklyLeah Greenblatt Even at its most engaging (those cubs!), Zookeeper can?t help evoking the dozens of films that have told these stories before, and better Read
6.0 Screen DailyTim Grierson This considered, muted drama can?t escape a fussy tastefulness ? not to mention inevitable comparisons to more crackling treatments of similar subject matter. Read

Box office

Weekend by weekend

Budget $20m
US $17.1m

Soundtrack

All 6 songs

Passe Lointain Op. 72 #17Jessica Chastain Spotify
Continental BounceHans Zander
Piano Sonata No. 1, 2nd Movement, Op. 2Jessica Chastain Spotify
Pars pour la Crête (La Belle Hélène)Andrea Vavrusova Spotify

Trivia

Learning german

In-between takes, Jessica Chastain claims she was taught "the nastiest German" swear-words by co-star Daniel Brühl.
Diane Ackerman

Diane Ackerman's non-fiction book was greatly inspired by the unpublished diary of Antonina Zabinska and Jan Zabinski, the director of the Warsaw Zoo in Poland.
Lion baby cubs

Real-life lion baby cubs were used on set.
Warsaw Zoo's Origins

The current Warsaw Zoo opened on 11 March 1928. However, its roots can be traced to 17th century private menageries.
Special Effects

All the animals you see are real, there is no CGI use.