Alexander is a 2004 epic historical drama film  based on the life of Alexander the Great. It was directed by Oliver Stone, with Colin Farrell in the title role. The film was an original screenplay based in part on the book Alexander the Great, written in the 1970s by the University of Oxford historian Robin Lane Fox. Upon its release, the film received generally favourable reviews by European critics. Negatively received in the United States, it grossed over $167 million worldwide against a $155 million budget.