Judi Dench, a 2012 movie critics looked down on and the $137million that proved them wrong

Judi Dench’s 2012 comedy *The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel* was a major audience success, despite Dench feeling some critics were condescending about its premise. Its popularity helped turn a story about British pensioners moving to India into a hit and led to a sequel.

Directed by John Madden, the film also starred Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel and Celia Imrie. It earned about $137 million against a $10 million budget and topped the UK box office; the 2015 sequel reunited much of the cast and added Richard Gere.