THE CHRISTOPHERS to Host Art Conversations Featuring Ian McKellen & More

NEON is hosting a series of conversations and talkbacks, built by and for the art community, inspired by the new film The Christophers, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Tony Award winner Sir Ian McKellen.

The film tells the story of a mainstay of the London art scene since his starry breakout in the creative explosion of the 1960s, Julian Sklar (McKellen) has drifted into a cluttered, self-imposed seclusion. His two estranged children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning) enlist Lori (Michaela Coel), a young painter and sometime-forger, to pose as a prospective assistant and gain access to a fabled series of unfinished canvases Julian has buried deep in his home studio, in a deceptive bid to secure an inheritance for themselves. 

Between April 9th and April 15th, audiences will have the chance to dive deeper into the world of The Christophers, with discussions focused on the lives, careers, and motivations of yesterday, today, and tomorrow’s most influential artists and creators. The movie itself will be released in New York and Los Angeles on April 10th, expanding nationwide on April 17th.

The series opens on Thursday, April 9th, with “The Art of Making The Christophers,” a live conversation with the filmmakers and cast in New York at the landmark Breuer building. Currently the headquarters of Sotheby’s, the Breuer was formerly the home of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Frick Collection. This is the first event of its kind at the Breuer. 

Soderbergh, McKellen, Coel, and Solomon will join renowned art world leader Andrew Goldstein, formerly the head of Artnet News, to discuss the ideas behind the film; how it was cast, how the actors approached their roles to authentically capture the artistic lives of their characters, and what the process revealed about the continuum between art and cinema. Additionally, Artnet News will act as media partner for the series.

On Friday, April 10th, “Canvas on the Silver Screen” will feature 3 successive conversations at the WSA in lower Manhattan, an interdisciplinary cultural hub and gathering space for New York’s downtown art community. The first talk will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Magazine art critic Jerry Saltz in a one-on-one conversation with Sir Ian McKellen, discussing the life and career of artists and the nature of late-career work and style.

The series continues that evening with Ajay Kurian, an artist, educator, and participant in the 2017 Whitney Biennial, and also founder of NewCrits, a global art mentorship and critique platform that produces the monthly live talk series The Forum. He will moderate a discussion with Ed Solomon about his creative process and the personal and artistic inspirations behind The Christophers.

The night will conclude with a group of esteemed contemporary artists gathering for Inside the Artist’s Studio: The Real Dynamics of the Artist–Assistant Relationship. The panel will examine the complex realities of studio production, the blurred boundaries between authorship and collaboration, and the formative (and sometimes fraught) experience of working under a mentor. Moderated by Kurian, the discussion will feature Jamian Juliano-Villani, Ian Cheng, and others to be announced.

Following New York’s events, NEON will present advanced screenings in regional markets, working with theatrical partners such as Alamo Drafthouse, AMC, The Coolidge Corner, The Commonwealth Club, and The SIFF Film Center.

Special screenings followed by discussions with local artists, art writers and experts will take place April 14th and 15th in major markets including Austin, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. Written by Ed Solomon, the movie first premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

The full list of events below. Admission is free. For more information on all events, including how to attend, visit here,

"Canvas On The Silver Screen" Program Schedule

New York

Thursday, April 9 – 6:00 PM
Sotheby’s Breuer Building
Discussion: The Art of Making The Christophers
Panelists: Steven Soderbergh, Sir Ian McKellen, Michaela Coel, Ed Solomon 

Friday, April 10 – 4:00 PM
WSA 
Discussion: Ian McKellen in Conversation with Jerry Saltz

Friday, April 10 – 5:30 PM
WSA 
Discussion: Ed Solomon in conversation with Ajay Kurian on Bringing the Art World to Life on Film

Friday, April 10 – 7:00 PM
WSA 
Discussion: Inside the Artist’s Studio: The Real Dynamics of the Artist–Assistant Relationship
Panelists: Jamian Juliano-Villani, Ian Cheng, and others to be announced soon

Austin

Tuesday April 14 – 7:00pm
Alamo South Lamar

Boston

Tuesday April 14 – 7:00pm
Coolidge Corner Theatre
Screening with Q&A

Washington, DC

Tuesday April 14 – 7:00pm
AMC Georgetown
Screening with Q&A

Chicago

Wednesday April 15 – 7:00pm
Alamo Wrigleyville
Screening with Q&A

San Francisco

Wednesday April 15 – 6:30pm
The Commonwealth Club
Screening with Q&A

Seattle

Wednesday April 15 – 7:00pm
SIFF Film Center
Screening with Q&A

Photo Credit: Claudette Barius