Fantasia ’25: Juliet & the King

Instead of Anna & the King, they would be “Julie & the Shah.” He was part of the Qajar dynasty rather than the supposedly “notorious” Pahlavi dynasty. Yet, if truth be told, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was more of a reformer than Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, but at least the late 19^th Century Shah tried to open Iran up to the outside world. It is through his travels that he discovers Shakespeare. Frankly, he does not care much for the play, but the young woman playing Juliet catches his eye. Unfortunately, that often puts plucky young Julie in jeopardy during director-screenwriter Ashkan Rahgozar’s Persian animated film, Juliet & the King, which had its international premiere at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival.

Both Julie and her Iranian expat mentor, aspiring playwright Jamal, are scuffling for Parisian theater gigs, but the Shah’s state visit could be their big break. Jamal’s services will be needed as a translator, but his request to cast Jule in the command performance of Romeo & Juliet is contemptuously declined. However, she still gets the part through the machinations of the disinterested Sarah Bernhardt-esque star. Frankly, Shakespeare seems like an odd choice for the French theatrical establishment, but the Shah probably would have found Racine even duller.

Unfortunately, boring is the only word that would not describe Julie’s performance, which takes a disastrous turn when she sees Shakespeare’s ghost in the audience. Yet, the Shah finds her charming in spite of it all, so he “invites” Julie and Jamal back to Iran to stage a production for his court. Of course, they need to punch up the downer ending, which would be a challenge, but the spectral Shakespeare reluctantly agrees to help.

There is also the business of Julie appearing on stage, which as the nasty queen mum keeps reminding the Shah, simply is not allowed in Iran. She definitely has it in for Julie, as do Naser al-Din’s harem of wives. However, the jester and the royal cat are on her side.

Visually, Juliet & the King is a rich feast, capturing the opulence of the Persian court and the sophistication of fin de siècle Paris. He also incorporates different styles to render dreams, visions, and interstitial exposition. Fans of the medium will be absolutely charmed. Indeed, Rahgozar surpasses the animation of his previous film, the more “serious” The Last Fiction (which remains noteworthy for its powerful for its depiction of resistance to oppression).

It is also notable anytime an Iranian filmmaker presents any Shah, of any dynasty, in a humanizing and forgiving fashion. Naser al-Din is a rather silly goat, but Rahgozar also allows the Shah to show his just and even progressive sides. Ironically, the naïve ingenue Julie might be the most cliched character of the film, while the Shah’s dowager mother is truly Machiavellian in her villainy.

Weirdly, Juliet & the King would make a droll double feature with Shakespeare in Love, because both films cleverly riff off productions of Romeo & Juliet. As a bonus, Rahgozar incorporates some amusing bits for the royal Persian and Julie’s street tabby, which are often cute, but never overwhelmingly shticky. The resulting film is family friendly and sufficiently smart to keep adult animation fans engaged. Highly recommended, Juliet & the King should have a long festival life, after screening at this year’s Fantasia.