The Importance of Being Earnest is a filmed version of the 2011 Broadway revival production of Oscar Wilde's 1895 play of the same name. The film is directed by Brian Bedford, who stars as Lady Bracknell.
The 2011 Broadway revival of Earnest opened on January 13, 2011, at the Roundabout Theatre Company's American Airlines Theatre, following previews from December 17, 2010. After positive reviews and several extensions, the production is set to close on July 3, 2011, bumping Roundabout's other project, People in the Picture, to Studio 54.
On March 1, 2011, it was reported that the production would be filmed live on March 11 and 12, 2011, to be shown in cinemas in June 2011. Official dates were announced on April 11, 2011: the first theaters to run The Importance of Being Earnest: Live in HD would do so on June 2, 2011.