This year’s London Film Festival will open with Elsinore, a feature based on the life of the Scottish actor Ian Charleson, starring Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman.
The film will screen at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on October 7, with cast expected to attend. StudioCanal will release the film in UK cinemas on January 29, 2027. Focus has the U.S. rights and will open the film on November 20.
Simon Stone (The Dig) directs Elsinore, based on the life of Ian Charleson, written by Stephen Beresford (Pride). The official synopsis reads: Elsinore is a powerful, deeply moving and inspiring true story of the actor Ian Charleson who faced incredible odds while preparing to give the performance of his life in Hamlet at the National Theatre in London.
Scott and Olivia Colman lead the feature. Scott is also a producer on the film. The wider cast features Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson, David Dawson, Monica Dolan, Matthew Beard, Joe Locke, Georgie Glen, Sadie Soverall, Adeel Akhtar, Dickie Beau, with Juliet Stevenson and Peter Mullan.
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Andrea Occhipintio of Lucky Red (Il Divo) produced the film with Gabrielle Tana of Magnolia Mae Films (The Dig), along with Pete Shilaimon and Mickey Liddell of LD Entertainment (Jackie) and Stefano Massenzi and Carolyn Marks Blackwood.
“Anchored by Andrew Scott’s astounding central performance, few films will leave a lasting imprint on audiences this year quite like Elsinore,” Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Artistic Director, said in a statement.
“Stephen Beresford’s script offers a richly drawn world from which Director Simon Stone and his exceptional ensemble of some of the UK’s greatest talents vividly bring the story of renowned actor Ian Charleson to the screen. We could not be prouder to open the 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival with Elsinore, a film that centres community, resistance and the triumph of art.”
The 2026 LFF runs from October 7 to 18.
