ELSINORE Starring Andrew Scott & Olivia Colman to Open in Theaters
Billie Piper and Johnny Flynn join the cast of the Simon Stone-directed drama from Stephen Beresford.
Focus Features has acquired North American rights to ELSINORE, a drama directed by Simon Stone and based on the life of actor Ian Charleson, with the studio setting a limited theatrical release beginning November 20 before expanding into additional markets over the Thanksgiving holiday and through December. Andrew Scott stars as Charleson, an actor whose final stage performance at London's National Theatre becomes an act of defiance in the face of his own mortality, alongside Olivia Colman, Billie Piper and Johnny Flynn.
Focus Features has acquired ELSINORE, from director Simon Stone, an inspiring true story starring Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers, Pressure) as Ian Charleson, an actor at the height of his powers whose final performance — on stage at London's National Theatre — became his greatest triumph. Facing his own mortality with unflinching honesty, wit, and grace, Charleson delivers a courageous performance that becomes a source of healing and inspiration for those around him. The film, written by Stephen Beresford (Pride), also stars Academy Award Winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Lost Daughter) Billie Piper, and Johnny Flynn.
ELSINORE is produced by STUDIOCANAL, LD Entertainment, Lucky Red and Magnolia Mae Films, and will be released in North America by Focus Features, with Universal Pictures International distributing the film in Latin America. STUDIOCANAL is releasing ELSINORE theatrically in their markets of the UK, France, Germany, Italy (Lucky Red), Poland, Benelux, Australia and New Zealand. STUDIOCANAL is handling worldwide sales.
ELSINORE will begin its theatrical run on November 20 before expanding wider over the Thanksgiving holiday and throughout December.
Logline
The deeply emotional and inspirational true story of Ian Charleson, a gifted actor whose greatest challenge becomes his greatest triumph. Facing his own mortality with unflinching honesty, wit, and grace, Charleson delivers a courageous performance that becomes a source of healing and inspiration for those around him.
Creative Team
Director: Simon Stone (The Daughter, The Dig)
Writer: Stephen Beresford (Pride)
Cast
Andrew Scott, Olivia Colman, 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.
Producers
Andrea Occhipinti of Lucky Red (Il Divo, Everybody Knows) produces with Gabrielle Tana and Carolyn Marks Blackwood of Magnolia Mae Films (The Dig, Philomena), along with Pete Shilaimon and Mickey Liddell of LD Entertainment (Jackie, Anthropoid) and Stefano Massenzi and Andrew Scott.
Focus Features is home to filmmakers bringing original stories to audiences through theatrical release. Focus' 2026 slate spans a variety of films, including Curry Barker's Obsession, which has become Focus' highest grossing film of all time; Werwulf, the studio's third collaboration with director Robert Eggers, releasing on Christmas Day; The Uprising from Paul Greengrass; and Georgia Oakley's new take on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.
Stone is represented by CAA and Stacey Testro International. Beresford is represented by Independent Talent Group. Scott is represented by United Agents, CAA, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole. Colman is represented by United Agents, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole, and Narrative. Piper is represented by UTA and Curtis Brown Group. Flynn is represented by CAA and United Agents.
About STUDIOCANAL (a CANAL+ Company)
STUDIOCANAL, CANAL+'s in-house studio, is Europe's leading film and television studio. Through its in-house operations and network of 23 production companies across Europe and the US, STUDIOCANAL finances, produces and distributes around 100 films per year, and produces more than 20 premium local and international series. STUDIOCANAL owns one of the world's most prestigious film libraries, including the largest catalogue of European films, with nearly 10,000 titles from 60 countries spanning a century of cinema. Since 2020, the studio has invested €25 million in the 4K restoration of 1,000 films, including Breathless, The Graduate, Terminator 2, and Love Actually.
Building on the global success of Paddington, STUDIOCANAL is scaling its franchise model through three new labels: STUDIOCANAL Stories, focused on adapting literary hits for film and TV; STUDIOCANAL Kids & Family, dedicated to building children's entertainment franchises, and STUDIOCANAL ON STAGE, specialising in adapting films for live theatre.
Andrew Scott
Andrew Scott is an acclaimed Irish actor known for his dynamic work across film, TV, and theatre.
Scott can most recently be seen starring in PRESSURE from Focus Features, releasing in the UK and international territories this September. This Christmas, Scott will star in A PLACE IN HELL for Neon, also starring Michelle Williams and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Last year, Scott appeared in the third installment of the KNIVES OUT franchise and Richard Linklater's Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated BLUE MOON. In 2024, Scott earned Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Award nominations for his leading role in Netflix's RIPLEY. Also in 2024, he became the first person to win Critics Circle lead actor prizes in both film and theater in the same year for his performances in ALL OF US STRANGERS and VANYA.
ELSINORE was written by Stephen Beresford and produced by STUDIOCANAL, LD Entertainment, Lucky Red and Magnolia Mae Films, with STUDIOCANAL handling the film's theatrical release across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Benelux, Australia and New Zealand as well as worldwide sales. Universal Pictures International will distribute the film in Latin America.
Photo Credit: Chris Baker
Photo Credit: Chris Baker
