The Fawlty Towers star, 85, has joked viewers will be able to see him as a "decrepit, addled, nasty old geriatric" in new film John Cleese Packs It In, which will follow the star behind the scenes during his final, 23-date European tour.
In the 90-minute documentary, which will be screened in more than 350 cinemas across the UK, Cleese will battle various ailments, encounter chaotic travel and grapple with his own stubborn refusal to stop.
Speaking about the documentary, he said: "For the first time, audiences will see a different side to me - not just the dashing, devil-may-care, devastatingly handsome bon viveur, but also the decrepit, addled, nasty old geriatric that my PR team work day and night to hide from the public.
"You will see with your own eyes what it's really like for a moribund 85 year old to struggle through a 23-city European tour, desperately trying to squeeze a few laughs from audiences who are clearly disappointed that they've wasted their hard-earned cash on over-priced tickets.
"This hatchet job is not just shocking, it's also hilarious, as audiences everywhere laugh, not with me, but at me."
The comedy icon - who is also one of the minds behind Monty Python - visits 16 European cities and performs 23 shows across six weeks in the film.
John Cleese Packs It In will also feature the star reflecting on his seven-decade career, which began in 1963.
John Travers of CinemaLive, distributors of the film in cinemas, said: "We're genuinely excited to be working alongside Medium Sized Fish Productions to share this incredible documentary about John Cleese in cinemas later this year.
"We can't wait for audiences to meet the man behind the comedy legend."
Cleese is no stranger to cinemas, after appearing in several films throughout his career, including the Oscar-nominated A Fish Called Wanda, and he portrayed Q in 2002 James Bond movie Die Another Day.
John Cleese Packs It In is showing in UK cinemas from November 13.
7°C