In Culture
Stephen Hawking on Film: Where to Watch the Documentaries and Dramas
A guide to the four essential Stephen Hawking films and series. What each one covers, who it's for, and where to watch or buy on Amazon.
Last reviewed 28 May 2026 · How we research
Stephen Hawking is one of the most filmed scientists in history. Across the past three decades a small number of essential films have shaped how the public sees him: two dramatisations, one feature documentary, and one major television series. This page is a watcher's guide to all four, with what each one covers and where it can be streamed or bought.
For the full screen record, including his many cameos and appearances, see the media library.
The two dramatisations
Hawking (2004) is the BBC television film that gave Benedict Cumberbatch his breakout role. Directed by Philip Martin, it covers a tight chapter of Hawking's life: his arrival at Cambridge, his motor neurone disease diagnosis at twenty-one, and the first years of his recovery into work. It is the film to watch for the academic story.
The Theory of Everything (2014) is the better-known feature film, directed by James Marsh and starring Eddie Redmayne (Academy Award for Best Actor) and Felicity Jones. It dramatises the whole of Stephen and Jane Hawking's marriage, drawn from Jane's memoir Travelling to Infinity. It is the film to watch for the love story.
The documentary
A Brief History of Time (1991) is Errol Morris's feature documentary, made shortly after Hawking's bestselling book of the same name appeared in 1988. Scored by Philip Glass and featuring interviews with Hawking, his family, and contemporaries including Roger Penrose and John Wheeler, it remains, for many, the definitive screen portrait. It is the film to watch for Hawking himself.
The television series
Stephen Hawking's Universe / Into the Universe (2010) is the Discovery Channel series, written by Hawking and narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch and Hawking's own synthesised voice. Three feature-length episodes cover aliens, time travel, and the story of everything. It is the series to watch for the science in his own words.
Stephen Hawking's Grand Design (2012) is the follow-up Discovery series, the screen companion to his 2010 book with Leonard Mlodinow. Three episodes take on the biggest questions: did God create the universe, is there a meaning to life, why do the laws of physics work? It is the series to watch for the philosophical Hawking.
Genius by Stephen Hawking (2016) is his final major TV project, broadcast on PBS and National Geographic. Six episodes set ordinary volunteers experimental challenges to think their way to scientific breakthroughs. It is the series to watch for late-career Hawking, and for the conviction that the big questions are open to anyone.
Where to watch
Availability changes over time and by region. The dramatisations are widely available on streaming services and on DVD or Blu-ray; A Brief History of Time is on Prime Video and on Criterion Blu-ray; Stephen Hawking's Universe is widely available on DVD. The simplest way to find each is via Amazon, which generally surfaces all current rental, streaming and physical options for a given title.
For Hawking's books, including A Brief History of Time and The Grand Design, see the Books section. For his recorded lectures and talks, see the page on notable speeches and lectures.