---
name: "James Acheson"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-acheson"
fi1m_id: "james-acheson"
imdb_id: "nm0009807"
tmdb_id: 11386
wikidata_id: "Q346384"
roles: ["Costume designer"]
born: "13 March 1946"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 15
average_fi1m_score: 70
average_over: 15
updated: "2026-10-20T04:06:04.898050+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# James Acheson

## Identity

James Acheson

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-acheson
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** james-acheson
- **IMDb ID:** nm0009807
- **TMDB ID:** 11386
- **Wikidata ID:** Q346384
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Acheson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q346384, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0009807/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11386

Costume designer. Born 13 March 1946 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Costume designer
- **Born:** 13 March 1946, Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK
- **Active:** 1963–2015
- **Also known as:** Jim Acheson
- **Frequently works with:** [Avi Arad](https://film.one/person/avi-arad.md), [James Franco](https://film.one/person/james-franco.md), [Kirsten Dunst](https://film.one/person/kirsten-dunst.md), [Laura Ziskin](https://film.one/person/laura-ziskin.md), [Sam Raimi](https://film.one/person/sam-raimi.md), [Tobey Maguire](https://film.one/person/tobey-maguire.md), [Alvin Sargent](https://film.one/person/alvin-sargent.md), [Arnon Milchan](https://film.one/person/arnon-milchan.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 3 Oscars (3 won)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 81 (1), 1980s 79 (7), 1990s 54 (2), 2000s 73 (3), 2010s 47 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 70 to 64 across 14 titles
- **Score spread:** 6 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 4 under 60
- **Genres:** Science Fiction 8, Adventure 7, Action 6, Drama 5, Comedy 4, Fantasy 3
- **Screen time:** 29 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $3,706m across 14 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Acheson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q346384, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0009807/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11386

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Spider-Man 2*](https://film.one/film/spider-man-2.md) (85), [*Spider-Man*](https://film.one/film/spider-man.md) (78), [*Spider-Man 3*](https://film.one/film/spider-man-3.md) (55)
- **Pluto TV:** [*The Man in the Iron Mask*](https://film.one/film/the-man-in-the-iron-mask.md) (54), [*Absolutely Anything*](https://film.one/film/absolutely-anything.md) (34)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Doctor Who*](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md) (81)
- **Apple TV:** [*The Last Emperor*](https://film.one/film/the-last-emperor.md) (80)
- **Peacock:** [*Highlander*](https://film.one/film/highlander.md) (75)
- **HBO Max:** [*Man of Steel*](https://film.one/film/man-of-steel.md) (60)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

James Acheson is a British costume designer. Born on 13 March 1946 in Leicester, he was educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School and studied at Wimbledon School of Art. He began his career in BBC Television, designing costumes for episodes of *Doctor Who*.

Acheson is known for his work on period films including *Brazil* (1985), *The Last Emperor* (1987), *Dangerous Liaisons* (1988) and *Restoration* (1995). He later designed costumes for superhero films such as *Spider-Man* (2002), *Spider-Man 2* (2004), *Spider-Man 3* (2007), *Daredevil* (2003) and *Man of Steel* (2013). He has also worked in theatre, opera and ballet.

Acheson won Academy Awards for Best Costume Design for *The Last Emperor*, *Dangerous Liaisons* and *Restoration*. He received a BAFTA award for *The Last Emperor* and a Costume Designers Guild Career Achievement Award in 2004.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (15)

- *Absolutely Anything* (2015), Fi1m 34, Costume Design, Production design, Costume design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/absolutely-anything.md)
- *Man of Steel* (2013), Fi1m 60, Costume Design, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/man-of-steel.md)
- *Spider-Man 3* (2007), Fi1m 55, Costume Design, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-3.md)
- *Spider-Man 2* (2004), Fi1m 85, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-2.md)
- *Spider-Man* (2002), Fi1m 78, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man.md)
- *The Man in the Iron Mask* (1998), Fi1m 54, Costume Design, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-in-the-iron-mask.md)
- *Mary Shelley's Frankenstein* (1994), Fi1m 54, Costume Design, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/mary-shelleys-frankenstein.md)
- *Dangerous Liaisons* (1988), Fi1m 84, Costume design, Costume Design — [page](https://film.one/film/dangerous-liaisons.md)
- *The Last Emperor* (1987), Fi1m 80, Costume Design, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-emperor.md)
- *Highlander* (1986), Fi1m 75, Costume Design, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/film/highlander.md)
- *Brazil* (1985), Fi1m 83, Costume design, Costume Design — [page](https://film.one/film/brazil.md)
- *Monty Python's The Meaning of Life* (1983), Fi1m 76, Costume design, Costume Design — [page](https://film.one/film/monty-pythons-the-meaning-of-life.md)
- *The Dark Crystal* (1982), Fi1m 78, Special Effects — [page](https://film.one/film/the-dark-crystal.md)
- *Time Bandits* (1981), Fi1m 80, Costume Designer — [page](https://film.one/film/time-bandits.md)
- *Doctor Who* (1963), Fi1m 81, Costume design — [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)

## Complete filmography (35)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Tales of the Tardis* (2023), series, Costume Design
- *Absolutely Anything* (2015), Production Design, Costume Design — Fi1m 34, [page](https://film.one/film/absolutely-anything.md)
- *Scotch Mist in Sussex* (2013), Actor
- *Man of Steel* (2013), Costume Design — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/man-of-steel.md)
- *Spider-Man 3* (2007), Costume Design — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-3.md)
- *Spider-Man 2* (2004), Costume Design — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-2.md)
- *Daredevil* (2003), Costume Design
- *Spider-Man* (2002), Costume Design — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man.md)
- *The Mists of Avalon* (2001), series, Production Design, Costume Design
- *The Little Vampire* (2000), Costume Design
- *Carnival of Monsters* (1999), Actor
- *The Man in the Iron Mask* (1998), Costume Design — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-in-the-iron-mask.md)
- *The Wind in the Willows* (1996), Costume Design, Production Design
- *Restoration* (1995), Costume Design
- *Mary Shelley's Frankenstein* (1994), Costume Design — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/mary-shelleys-frankenstein.md)
- *Little Buddha* (1993), Costume Design, Production Design
- *Wuthering Heights* (1992), Costume Design
- *The Sheltering Sky* (1990), Costume Design
- *Dangerous Liaisons* (1988), Costume Design — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/dangerous-liaisons.md)
- *The Last Emperor* (1987), Costume Design — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-emperor.md)
- *Biggles* (1986), Costume Design
- *Highlander* (1986), Costume Design — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/highlander.md)
- *Brazil* (1985), Costume Design — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/brazil.md)
- *Water* (1985), Costume Design
- *Bullshot* (1983), Costume Design
- *Monty Python's The Meaning of Life* (1983), Costume Design — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/monty-pythons-the-meaning-of-life.md)
- *The Dark Crystal* (1982), Special Effects — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-dark-crystal.md)
- *Time Bandits* (1981), Costume Designer — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/time-bandits.md)
- *Doctor Who: The Deadly Assassin* (1976), Costume Design
- *Doctor Who: The Masque of Mandragora* (1976), Costume Design
- *Doctor Who: Robot* (1975), Costume Design
- *Doctor Who: Carnival of Monsters* (1973), Costume Design
- *Doctor Who: The Three Doctors* (1973), Costume Design
- *Doctor Who: The Mutants* (1972), Costume Design
- *Doctor Who* (1963), series, Costume Design — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 3 won

- 1996: Best Costume Design (won), for *Restoration*
- 1989: Best Costume Design (won), for *Dangerous Liaisons*
- 1988: Best Costume Design (won), for *The Last Emperor*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/james-acheson