Editing Judi Dench (section)

=== 2010s ===
In 2010, Dench renewed her collaboration with [[Peter Hall (director)|Peter Hall]] at the [[Rose Theatre, Kingston|Rose Theatre]] in [[Kingston upon Thames]] in ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'', which opened in February 2010; she played Titania as Queen Elizabeth I in her later years - almost 50 years after she first played the role for the Royal Shakespeare Company.<ref>{{cite news |last=Espiner |first=Mark |title=Judi Dench in A Midsummer Night's Dream: Press views|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8518193.stm|publisher=BBC News|date=16 February 2010|access-date=10 November 2012}}</ref> In July 2010, Dench performed "[[Send in the Clowns]]" at a special celebratory promenade concert from the [[Royal Albert Hall]] as part of the proms season, in honour of composer [[Stephen Sondheim]]'s 80th birthday.<ref>{{cite news |last=White |first=Lesley |work=The Sunday Times |location=London |date=14 February 2010 |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article7021949.ece |title=Peter and Judi play a Tug of Love}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rosetheatrekingston.org/about-us |title=About the Rose |work=The Rose Theatre |access-date=22 October 2009}}</ref> 

In 2011, Dench starred in ''[[Jane Eyre (2011 film)|Jane Eyre]]'', ''[[My Week with Marilyn]]'' and ''[[J. Edgar]]''. In [[Cary Joji Fukunaga]]'s period drama ''Jane Eyre'', based on the 1847 [[Jane Eyre|novel of the same name]] by [[Charlotte Brontë]], she played the role of Alice Fairfax, housekeeper to Rochester, the aloof and brooding master of Thornfield Hall, where main character Jane, played by [[Mia Wasikowska]], gets employed as a [[governess]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Mayer |last=Nissim |title=Judi Dench had no ego on 'Jane Eyre' set, says director Cary Fukunaga|work=[[Digital Spy]] |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a346793/judi-dench-had-no-ego-on-jane-eyre-set-says-director-cary-fukunaga.html/|date=21 October 2011|access-date=9 November 2012}}</ref> Dench reportedly signed to the project after she had received a humorous personal note from Fukunaga, in which he "promised her that she'd be the sexiest woman on set if she did the film".<ref>{{cite news|title=Judi Dench given sexy Jane Eyre promise|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/hollywood/news/Judi-Dench-given-sexy-Jane-Eyre-promise/articleshow/9953576.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509031147/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-12/news-interviews/30144704_1_sexiest-woman-dame-judi-dench-jane-eyre|url-status=live|archive-date=9 May 2013|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=9 November 2012}}</ref> Acclaimed among critics,<ref>{{cite web |title=Jane Eyre (2011)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jane_eyre_2011/|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=9 November 2012}}</ref> it was a mediocre arthouse success at the box office, grossing US$30.5 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jane Eyre|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Jane-Eyre-(2010)|publisher=The Numbers|access-date=9 November 2012}}</ref> In [[Simon Curtis (filmmaker)|Simon Curtis]]' ''My Week with Marilyn'', which depicts the making of the 1957 film ''[[The Prince and the Showgirl]]'' starring [[Marilyn Monroe]] and [[Laurence Olivier]], Dench played actress [[Sybil Thorndike]]. The film garnered largely positive reviews,<ref>{{cite web|title=My Week with Marilyn (2011 film profile)
|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/my_week_with_marilyn/|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=9 November 2012}}</ref> and earned Dench a [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Actress in a Supporting Role]] nomination at the [[65th British Academy Film Awards|65th BAFTA Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2012/film/supporting-actress|title=Film {{!}} Supporting Actress in 2012|publisher=BAFTA|access-date=18 September 2018}}</ref>

Dench's last film of 2011 was [[Clint Eastwood]]'s ''[[J. Edgar]]'', a biographical drama film about the career of [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] director [[J. Edgar Hoover]], played by [[Leonardo DiCaprio]], from the [[Palmer Raids]] onwards, including an examination of his private life as a [[closeted]] homosexual.<ref name="WSJ.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703293204576106080298279672|title=A Hollywood Icon Lays Down the Law|work=WSJ.com|access-date=18 February 2011|first=Michael|last=Judge|date=29 January 2011}}</ref> Hand-picked by Eastwood to play Anna Marie Hoover, Hoover's mother, Dench initially thought a friend was setting her up upon receiving Eastwood's phone call request. "I didn't take it seriously to start with. And then I realised it was really him and that was a tricky conversation", she stated.<ref name="observer">{{cite news|first=Tim|last=Adams|title=Judi Dench: 'I never want to stop working'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/oct/14/judi-dench-interview-skyfall|work=[[The Observer]]|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|date=14 October 2012|access-date=9 November 2012|location=London}}</ref> Released to mixed reception, both with critics and commercially, the film went on to gross US$79 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |title=J. Edgar (2011)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/j_edgar/|publisher=The Numbers |access-date=9 November 2012}}</ref> The same year, Dench reunited with [[Rob Marshall]] and [[Johnny Depp]] for a [[cameo appearance]] in ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides]]'', playing a noblewoman who is robbed by [[Captain Jack Sparrow]], played by Depp. She made a second cameo that year in [[Ray Cooney]]'s ''[[Run for Your Wife (2012 film)|Run for Your Wife]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=James|last=Pozzi|title=Dame Judi Dench set to make cameo in Wimbledon-shot film|url=http://swlondoner.co.uk/content/0909315-dame-judi-dench-set-make-cameo-wimbledon-shot-film|work=South West Londoner|access-date=9 November 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130206024852/http://swlondoner.co.uk/content/0909315-dame-judi-dench-set-make-cameo-wimbledon-shot-film|archive-date=6 February 2013}}</ref>

In 2011, Dench reunited with director [[John Madden (director)|John Madden]] on the set of the [[comedy drama]] ''[[The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel]]'' (2012), starring an [[ensemble cast]] also consisting of [[Celia Imrie]], [[Bill Nighy]], [[Ronald Pickup]], [[Maggie Smith]], [[Tom Wilkinson]], and [[Penelope Wilton]], as a group of British [[pensioner]]s moving to a retirement hotel in India, run by the young and eager Sonny ([[Dev Patel]]). Released to positive reviews by critics,<ref name="rt-tbemh">{{cite web |title=The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_best_exotic_marigold_hotel_2012 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=30 October 2012}}</ref> who declared the film a "sweet story about the senior set featuring a top-notch cast of veteran actors",<ref name="rt-tbemh" /> it became a surprise box-office hit following its international release, eventually grossing $US134 million worldwide, mostly from its domestic run.<ref name="cs">{{cite web|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=90881|title=The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Crosses $100 Million|work=Fox Searchlight Pictures|publisher=CommingSoon.net|date=31 May 2012|access-date=30 October 2012|archive-date=29 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429215037/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=90881|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'' was ranked among the highest-grossing specialty releases of the year,<ref>{{cite web|first=Peter|last=Knegt|url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/specialty-box-office-queen-reigns-for-indie-debuts-lcd-soundsystem-doc-has-great-one-night-only?page=2|title=Specialty Box Office: 'Queen' Reigns For Indie Debuts; LCD Soundsystem Doc Has Great 'One Night Only'|work=Indiewire|date=23 July 2012|access-date=30 October 2012}}</ref> and Dench, whom [[Peter Travers]] from ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' called "resilient marvel",<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-20120503|first=Peter|last=Travers|title=The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=3 May 2012|access-date=30 October 2012|archive-date=12 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112090627/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-20120503|url-status=dead}}</ref> garnered a [[BIFA for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film|Best Actress]] nod at both the [[British Independent Film Awards]] and Golden Globe Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a435735/broken-sightseers-berberian-sound-studio-lead-bifa-nominations.html|title='Broken', 'Sightseers', 'Berberian Sound Studio' lead BIFA nominations|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|date=5 November 2012|work=[[Digital Spy]]|publisher=[[Hearst Magazines UK]]|access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Judy and Ben (8749969035) (2).jpg|thumb|upright|Dench with ''[[Skyfall]]'' co-star [[Ben Whishaw]] at the [[Noël Coward Theatre]] in 2013]]

Also in 2012, ''[[Friend Request Pending]]'', an indie short film which Dench had filmed in 2011, received a wide release as part of the feature films ''[[Stars in Shorts]]'', "Camden Clog dancing Nelson Mills" by Pat Tracey, and ''The Joy of Six''. In the 12-minute comedy, directed by ''My Week with Marilyn'' assistant director [[Chris Foggin]] on a budget of just £5,000, she portrays a pensioner grappling with a crush on her church choirmaster and the art of cyber-flirting via [[social networking]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/what-m-did-next-judi-dench-tries-cyberflirting-in-lowbudget-indie-film-8300460.html|title=What M did next: Judi Dench tries cyber-flirting in low-budget indie film|first=Alice|last=Jones|date=9 November 2012|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=9 November 2012|location=London}}</ref> Dench made her seventh and final appearance as M in the 23rd [[James Bond in film|James Bond film]], ''[[Skyfall]]'' (2012),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/1759799/judi-dench-always-has-to-correct-one-fact-about-her-time-on-the-james-bond-movies|title=Judi Dench Always Has To Correct One Fact About Her Time On The James Bond Movies|publisher=Cinema Blend|date=5 January 2018|access-date=25 December 2018}}</ref> directed by [[Sam Mendes]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Coyle|first=Jake|title=Judi Dench On ''Skyfall'' & Her Reign As M|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/09/judi-dench-skyfall-007-bond_n_2102516.html|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=11 November 2012|date=9 November 2012}}</ref> In the film, Bond investigates an attack on MI6; it transpires that it is part of an attack on M by former MI6 operative Raoul Silva (played by [[Javier Bardem]]) to humiliate, discredit and kill M as revenge against her for betraying him. Dench's position as M was subsequently filled by [[Ralph Fiennes]]' character. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, ''Skyfall'' was positively received by critics and at the box office, grossing over $1 billion worldwide, and became the [[List of highest-grossing films in the United Kingdom|highest-grossing film of all time in the UK]] and the highest-grossing film in the James Bond series. Critics called Dench's [[Saturn Awards]]-nominated performance "compellingly luminous".<ref name="S Tel: McCartney">{{cite news |last=McCartney |first=Jenny |title=Older and wiser |newspaper=[[The Sunday Telegraph]] |location=London |date=28 October 2012 |page=19}}</ref>

In 2013, Dench starred as the title character in the [[Stephen Frears]]-directed film ''[[Philomena (film)|Philomena]]'', which was inspired by true events of a woman looking for the son whom, half a century earlier, the [[Catholic Church]] had taken from her.<ref name="Venice">{{cite web|url=http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/70th-festival/line-up/off-sel/venezia70|title=Venezia 70|access-date=26 July 2013|work=labiennale|archive-date=28 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728070816/http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/70th-festival/line-up/off-sel/venezia70|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film was screened in the main competition section at the [[70th Venice International Film Festival]], where it was very favorably received by critics.<ref name="Awards">{{cite web|url=http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/news/07-09.html|title=Official Awards of the 70th Venice Film Festival|access-date=8 September 2013|archive-date=21 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921081416/http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/news/07-09.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/25/venice-film-festival-2013-line-up|title=Venice film festival 2013: the full line-up|access-date=26 July 2013|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=25 July 2013}}</ref> On Dench's performance, ''[[Time Magazine]]'' commented that "this is Dench's triumph. At 78, she has a golden career behind her, often as queens and other frosty matriarchs. So the warmth under pressure she radiates here is nearly a surprise [...] Dench gives a performance of grace, nuance, and cinematic heroism."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Mary|last=Corliss|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2013/08/31/philomena-at-venice-reserve-an-oscar-for-judi-dench/#ixzz2gHWC3WI4|title=Philomena at Venice: Reserve an Oscar for Judi Dench|access-date=29 September 2013|date=31 August 2013}}</ref> She was subsequently nominated for many major acting awards, including a seventh [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] nomination.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Maggie|last1=Coughlan|first2=Michele|last2=Corriston|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|url=http://www.peoplestylewatch.com/people/stylewatch/package/article/0,,20768377_20776573,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines|title=Oscars 2014: Julia Roberts, Amy Adams & More React to Nominations|date=16 January 2013|access-date=20 January 2013|archive-date=1 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201103110/http://www.peoplestylewatch.com/people/stylewatch/package/article/0,,20768377_20776573,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2015, Dench appeared opposite [[Dustin Hoffman]] in [[Dearbhla Walsh]]'s [[Roald Dahl's Esio Trot|small-screen adaptation]] of [[Roald Dahl]]'s children's novel ''[[Esio Trot]]'' (1990), in which a retired bachelor falls in love with his widowed neighbor, played by Dench, who keeps a [[tortoise]] as a companion after the death of her husband,<ref>{{cite news |last=Sweney |first=Mark |title=Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench to star in Roald Dahl adaptation for BBC |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/aug/22/dustin-hoffman-judi-dench-esio-trot |work=The Guardian |date=22 August 2013 |access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref> First broadcast on [[BBC One]] on New Year's Day 2015, it became one of the most-watched programmes of the week,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-30 |title=Weekly top 30 programmes |publisher=BARB |access-date=12 September 2018}}</ref> and earned Dench her first [[International Emmy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] nomination at the [[44th International Emmy Awards|2016 International Emmy Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/09/judi-dench-dustin-hoffman-shonda-rimes-international-emmy-nominations-1201826138/|title=Brazil, UK Lead Pack For International Emmy Nominations|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=25 November 2016|date=26 September 2016}}</ref> On her performance, ''[[The Daily Telegraph|Telegraph]]''{{'}}s Michael Hogan commented: "We've grown accustomed to seeing Dench in forbidding roles, but here, she recalled her footloose, flirtatious side, displayed in sitcoms as ''[[A Fine Romance (1981 TV series)|A Fine Romance]]'' and ''[[As Time Goes By (UK TV series)|As Time Goes By]]''. The Dame was sparkly and downright ravishing."<ref>{{cite news |last=Hogan |first=Michael |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11319398/Roald-Dahls-Esio-Trot-review.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11319398/Roald-Dahls-Esio-Trot-review.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Roald Dahl's Esio Trot, BBC One, review: 'a magical start to 2015'|date= 1 January 2015|access-date=2 May 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

[[File:Judi Dench 2015.jpg|thumb|upright|Dench at [[St Paul's Covent Garden]] in 2015]]

As with most of the original cast, Dench reprised the role of Evelyn in John Madden's ''[[The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel]]'' (2015), the sequel to the [[The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel|2011 sleeper hit]]. The comedy drama was released to lukewarm reviews from critics, who found it "as original as its title – but with a cast this talented and effortlessly charming, that hardly matters".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_second_best_exotic_marigold_hotel/|title=The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Flixster]]|access-date=27 May 2015}}</ref> From April to May 2015, Dench played a mother, with her real-life daughter [[Finty Williams]] playing her character's daughter, in ''[[The Vote (play)|The Vote]]'' at the [[Donmar Warehouse]].<ref name="TheVote">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/11582961/The-Vote-Donmar-Warehouse-review-art-meets-life-in-real-time-drama.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/11582961/The-Vote-Donmar-Warehouse-review-art-meets-life-in-real-time-drama.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The Vote, Donmar Warehouse, review: art meets life in real-time drama|access-date=20 July 2015|work=The Telegraph|location=London|date=7 May 2015|first=Dominic|last=Cavendish}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The final performance was broadcast live on [[More4]] at 8:25 pm; the time when the events in the play take place.<ref name="TheVote" /> The appearance marked her first performance at the theatre since 1976.<ref name="indepen">{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/the-vote-judi-dench-to-star-with-daughter-in-polling-station-play-aired-live-on-election-night-10122004.html | title=Judi Dench to star with daughter in polling station play aired live on election night | work=[[The Independent]] | date=20 March 2015 | access-date=24 May 2015}}</ref> On 20 September 2015, she was the guest on [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'' for the third time, in which she revealed that her first acting performance was as a snail.<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Dame Judi Dench |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06bd681 |series=Desert Island Discs |series-link= Desert Island Discs |network=BBC |station=Radio 4|date=20 September 2015}}</ref> She reprised her role as M in the 2015 James Bond film ''Spectre'', in the form of a recording that was delivered to Bond.

In 2016, Dench made [[Olivier Award]] history when she won [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Actress in a Supporting Role]] for her role as Paulina in ''[[The Winter's Tale]]'', breaking her own record with her eighth win as a performer.<ref>{{cite web |title=Olivier Awards 2016: The Winners List |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=4 March 2016|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2016-olivier-award-winners-879552/item/best-actor-olivier-2016-award-879547 |access-date=10 May 2017}}</ref> Next, she co-starred as [[Cecily Neville, Duchess of York]] to [[Benedict Cumberbatch]]'s [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] in the second series of the [[BBC Two]] historical series ''[[The Hollow Crown (TV series)|The Hollow Crown]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Principal photography begins on The Hollow Crown: The Wars Of The Roses |website=BBC Media Centre |publisher=BBC |date=1 October 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/hollow-crown-roses |access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> The same year, she was cast alongside [[Eva Green]] and [[Asa Butterfield]] in [[Tim Burton]]'s dark fantasy film ''[[Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (film)|Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children]]''. Dench played Miss Esmeralda Avocet, a headmistress who can manipulate time and can transform into a bird.<ref name=PurnellCast>{{cite news|last1=Kroll|first1=Justin|title=Ella Purnell and Asa Butterfield to Star in Tim Burton's 'Miss Peregrine's' (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/ella-purnell-tim-burtons-miss-peregrines-1201342728/|access-date=20 February 2015|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=5 November 2014}}</ref> The film garnered mixed reviews from critics, who felt it was "on stronger footing as a visual experience than a narrative one".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/miss_peregrines_home_for_peculiar_children/ |title=Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children |date=12 October 2016 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=12 October 2016}}</ref> Budgeted on US$110&nbsp;million, it became a commercial hit, grossing nearly US$300 million worldwide.<ref name="V1">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/box-office-miss-peregrines-masterminds-deepwater-horizon-1201875830/|title=Box Office: 'Miss Peregrine' Tops With $28.5 Million, 'Deepwater Horizon', 'Masterminds' Bomb|first=Brent|last=Lang|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=2 October 2016|access-date=2 October 2016}}</ref>

Dench's first film of 2017 was [[Justin Chadwick]]'s ''[[Tulip Fever]]'', alongside [[Alicia Vikander]] and [[Christoph Waltz]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Judi Dench to star in Tulip Fever movie|date=6 June 2014| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27732965|publisher=bbc.co.uk|access-date=6 June 2014}}</ref> Set during the period of the [[tulip mania]], the historical drama follows a [[Tulip mania|17th-century]] painter in [[Amsterdam]] who falls in love with a married woman whose portrait he has been hired to paint. Filmed in 2014, the film went through [[Production hell|several delays]] and earned largely negative reviews from critics, who called it a "handsomely-mounted period piece undone by uninspired dialogue and excessive plotting".<ref>{{cite web|title=''Tulip Fever'' (2017)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tulip_fever|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|access-date=17 September 2017}}</ref> Also in 2017, Dench reprised the role of [[Queen Victoria]] when she headlined [[Stephen Frears]]'s ''[[Victoria & Abdul]]''.<ref name="Jun2016THR">{{cite news|last1=Ritman|first1=Alex|title=Judi Dench to play Queen Victoria in Stephen Frears' 'Victoria and Abdul'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/judi-dench-play-queen-victoria-903888|access-date=18 June 2016|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=17 June 2016}}</ref> The biographical comedy drama depicts the real-life relationship between the monarch and her Indian Muslim servant [[Abdul Karim (the Munshi)|Abdul Karim]], played by opposite [[Ali Fazal]]. While the film was met with lukewarm reviews for its "imbalanced narrative", Dench earned specific praise for her performance,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/victoria_and_abdul|title=''Victoria & Abdul'' (2017)|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=6 November 2017}}</ref> earning the actress her 12th [[Golden Globe]] nomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/golden-globe-nominations-2018-nominees-full-list-1202634435/|title=Golden Globe Nominations: Complete List|work=Variety|date=11 December 2017|access-date=11 December 2017|first=Rebecca|last=Rubin}}</ref>

In September 2017, the website [[LADBible]] posted a video of Dench rapping with UK [[Grime music|Grime]] MC [[Lethal Bizzle]]. The collaboration came about because the [[British slang|slang]] term "dench", which is used as a compliment, features in Bizzle's lyrics and on his clothing brand Stay Dench which Dench had previously helped to promote.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/14/watch-judi-dench-proves-dench-rapping-grime-star-lethal-bizzle/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/14/watch-judi-dench-proves-dench-rapping-grime-star-lethal-bizzle/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Watch as Judi Dench proves she is 'dench' by rapping with grime star Lethal Bizzle |work=The Telegraph|date=14 September 2017|access-date=7 January 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|editor-first1= Deborah |editor-last1= Jermyn |editor-first2=Susan|editor-last2=Holmes|title= Women, Celebrity and Cultures of Ageing: Freeze Frame|publisher=Springer|year=2015|page=152|isbn= 978-1-137-49512-9|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4wxaCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA152|access-date=7 January 2018}}</ref> Dench's last film that year was [[Kenneth Branagh]]'s ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (2017 film)|Murder on the Orient Express]]'', based on the 1934 novel [[Murder on the Orient Express|of the same name]] by [[Agatha Christie]].<ref>{{cite news|last2=Kit|first2=Borys|last1=Ford|first1=Rebecca|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/johnny-depp-talks-star-murder-933797|title=Johnny Depp in Talks to Star in 'Murder on the Orient Express'|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=29 September 2016|access-date=30 September 2016}}</ref> The [[mystery film|mystery]]–[[drama film|drama]] [[ensemble film]] follows world-renowned detective [[Hercule Poirot]], who seeks to solve a murder on the [[Orient Express|famous European train]] in the 1930s. Dench portrayed Princess Dragomiroff opposite [[Johnny Depp]], [[Michelle Pfeiffer]], and [[Penélope Cruz]]. The film has grossed $351 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the cast's performances, but criticism for not adding anything new to previous adaptations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/murder-on-the-orient-express-mostly-stays-on-track/|title=Murder on the Orient Express Mostly Stays on Track |first=Jeff |last=Giles |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|date=9 November 2017|access-date=9 November 2017}}</ref>

Dench was cast as the elder version of titular character Joan Elizabeth Stanley in [[Trevor Nunn]]'s spy drama film ''[[Red Joan]]'' (2018). Based on Jennie Rooney's same-titled novel, it was inspired by the life of [[KGB]] intelligence source [[Melita Norwood]].<ref name="screendaily.com">{{cite news|last=Grater|first=Tom|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/judi-dench-sophie-cookson-to-star-in-trevor-nunns-red-joan-exclusive/5122043.article|title=Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson to star in Trevor Nunn's 'Red Joan' (exclusive)|work=Screendaily|date=7 September 2017|access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/review-judi-dench-shows-range-in-red-joan-portraying-a-complete-idiot|title=Review: Judi Dench shows range in 'Red Joan,' portraying a complete idiot|last=LaSalle|first=Mick|date=22 April 2019|website=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref> While the film earned generally negative reviews, Dench was applauded for her performance, with ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' agreeing that "Dench is wasted in this absurd portrayal."<ref>{{cite news |last=Collin |first=Robbie|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/red-joan-review-judi-dench-wasted-absurd-portrayal-ofthe-bolshevik/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/red-joan-review-judi-dench-wasted-absurd-portrayal-ofthe-bolshevik/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Red Joan, review: Judi Dench is wasted in this absurd portrayal of the Bolshevik of Bexleyheath|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=18 April 2019|access-date=26 January 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Her other film of 2018 was ''[[All Is True]]'', a fictional historical film for which she reunited with Kenneth Branagh to portray [[William Shakespeare]]'s wife [[Anne Hathaway (wife of Shakespeare)|Anne Hathaway]]. Released to favorable reviews, critics called the film "impressively cast and beautifully filmed. ''All Is True'' takes an elegiac look at Shakespeare's final days."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_is_true|title=All Is True (2019)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref> Also in 2018, Dench appeared alongside [[Eileen Atkins]], [[Joan Plowright]] and [[Maggie Smith]] in [[Roger Michell]]'s documentary film ''[[Nothing Like a Dame (film)|Nothing Like a Dame]]'' which documents conversations between the actresses, interspersed with scenes from their career on film and stage. It received rave reviews, with ''The Guardian'' declaring it an "outrageously funny film".<ref name="guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/apr/26/nothing-like-a-dame-review-judi-dench-eileen-atkins-maggie-smith-joan-plowright|work=[[The Guardian]]|title=Nothing Like a Dame review – Judi Dench and Maggie Smith trade brutal banter|access-date=26 January 2020|date=26 April 2018|last=Bradshaw|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Bradshaw}}</ref>

In 2019, Dench presented a two-part nature documentary series for the [[ITV (TV Network)|ITV]] network called ''Judi Dench's Wild Borneo Adventure'' in which she and her partner travelled across [[Borneo|the island]], looking at its remarkable wildlife and efforts by conservationists to preserve it for future generations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/hub/judi-denchs-wild-borneo-adventure/2a6312a0001|title=Judi Dench's Wild Borneo Adventure – Series 1 – Episode 1|via=www.itv.com|access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref> In autumn 2019, she starred as [[Old Deuteronomy]] in [[Tom Hooper]]'s [[Cats (2019 film)|film adaptation]] of ''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]]'' alongside [[Jennifer Hudson]], [[Ian McKellen]], and [[James Corden]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/cats-movie-judi-dench-andrew-lloyd-webber-deuteronomy-1202485723/|title=Judi Dench Set To Pounce On 'Cats'|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|magazine=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=18 October 2018|access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref> The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics, who criticized the [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI effects]], plot, and tone, with many calling it one of the worst films of 2019. Also, the film became a [[box-office bomb]], having so far grossed $62 million on a budget as high as $100 million.<ref name="BOM">{{Cite web |url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt5697572/ |title= Cats (2019) |website= [[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=26 January 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191231023501/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt5697572/ |archive-date= 31 December 2019 |url-status= live }}</ref> In May 2020, Dench became the oldest British person to be featured on the cover of British ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Judi Dench, 85, is the oldest British Vogue cover star ever — see her photo shoot!|url=https://www.today.com/style/judi-dench-85-oldest-british-vogue-cover-star-ever-t180718|website=TODAY.com |date=4 May 2020 |access-date=7 May 2020}}</ref>