Andrew Scott's 'Elsinore' Opens BFI London Film Festival
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- "Elsinore" will open the 70th BFI London Film Festival on Oct. 7 at the Royal Festival Hall, described in the announcement as the film's European premiere.
- Andrew Scott stars as and produces "Elsinore," portraying Scottish actor Ian Charleson as he prepared to perform Hamlet at London's National Theatre.
- Simon Stone ("The Dig") directs from a script by Stephen Beresford ("Pride"), with Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, and Luke Thompson among the ensemble cast.
- StudioCanal will release the film wide in UK cinemas on Jan. 29, with Focus Features handling the Nov. 20 US release; producers include Lucky Red, Magnolia Mae Films, and LD Entertainment.
- The gala venue — the Royal Festival Hall — sits directly adjacent to the National Theatre where Charleson delivered his final performances.
- BFI London Film Festival artistic director Kristy Matheson called Scott's performance "astounding" and framed the film as a story of "community, resistance and the triumph of art."
Why it matters: The opening-night slot at BFI's milestone 70th edition gives "Elsinore" a prestige launch ahead of its Nov. 20 US and Jan. 29 UK wide releases. Screening next door to the National Theatre where Charleson actually performed creates uniquely resonant staging for Scott, while the multi-territory distribution stack (StudioCanal, Focus Features, Lucky Red) signals broad commercial ambition for a biographical drama about a relatively little-known stage actor.
