Video: Ian McKellen Stars as a Famed Painter in THE CHRISTOPHERS Trailer

A grand plan is at work in the official trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers, starring Tony Award-winning performer Ian McKellen. The film follows the stage legend as painter Julian Sklar, who enlists the help of an art restorer to help him complete several unfinished pieces. 

Having premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, the movie will be released in New York and Los Angeles theaters on Friday, April 10, followed by a nationwide rollout from NEON beginning April 17. The movie also stars Tony winner James Corden, Michaela Coel, and Jessica Gunning.

According to the synopsis, "Julian Sklar was once a star of London’s 1960’s and 70’s pop art explosion, but he hasn’t painted in decades and has been broke for years. His two estranged children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning), desperate for an inheritance, hire Lori, an art restorer and former forger (Michaela Coel), to pose as a prospective assistant in order to access 8 unfinished canvases Julian has buried deep in storage. Her plan is to complete them, then return them to storage, where they are to be 'discovered' upon Julian’s death."

Ed Solomon, known for projects like Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Men in Black, has written the script. He previously worked with Soderbergh on his 2021 film No Sudden Move.

McKellen is currently starring in The Shed's An Ark, the first play created for and in mixed reality. The production runs for an exclusive seven-week engagement through March 1, 2026. Other stage credits include Amadeus, Macbeth, Othello, Waiting for Godot, and many more. 

James Corden recently appeared on Broadway in Art, and previously appeared in One Man, Two Guvnors, which he also starred in at The National Theatre in the West End. For this role, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor, the New York Critics Circle Award, and the Drama Desk Award. Other theatre credits include The History Boys (National Theatre/Broadway). Film credits include Into the Woods and The Prom.

Michaela Coel is known for her hit series HBO's I May Destroy You. She won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series, making her the first Black woman to take home that trophy. Onscreen, she can be seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and in Mr. & Mrs. Smith on Prime Video. Coel has been seen on stage at the Royal National Theatre in Blurred Lines, Home, Chewing Gum Dreams, and Medea.