Andrew Scott has built a career on finding the humanity inside complicated men, and his next role sounds like it could be a career highlight. He stars as the late actor Ian Charleson in “Elsinore,” which opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 20 and in the U.K. on Jan. 29, 2027, according to Deadline.
If you don’t know the name Ian Charleson, that’s part of the appeal here. Charleson broke out as the star of “Chariots of Fire,” but his most remarkable performance came years later. In 1989, Daniel Day-Lewis walked offstage in the middle of a performance of “Hamlet” at London’s National Theatre and never came back. Charleson stepped into one of the most demanding roles in theater while he was seriously ill with AIDS. His Hamlet earned rave reviews, and he died in January 1990, weeks after his final performance.
The People in Charleson’s Corner
“Elsinore” follows Charleson through those last months. Olivia Colman co-leads as Dr. Margaret Johnson, one of the U.K.’s first doctors to specialize in AIDS, and Billie Piper plays his friend, casting director Patsy Pollock. That pairing of Scott and Colman alone should have awards-watchers paying attention.
The rest of the ensemble has real depth. Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson, David Dawson, Monica Dolan, Joe Locke and Adeel Akhtar all appear, and Juliet Stevenson and Peter Mullan round out the cast.
Who’s Bringing It to Life
Simon Stone directs from a screenplay by Stephen Beresford. Stone previously made “The Dig,” so he’s comfortable with quiet, character-driven period pieces that hinge on internal stakes rather than explosions. Beresford wrote “Pride,” which gives him a track record of finding warmth and defiance in true stories about people pushing back against their circumstances.
Scott also produces. He’s joined by an international group of producers that includes Andrea Occhipinti of Lucky Red, Gabrielle Tana of Magnolia Mae Films, and Pete Shilaimon and Mickey Liddell of LD Entertainment. Focus Features is releasing the film in the U.S., and StudioCanal has the U.K. release.
The Festival Circuit Has Spoken
“Elsinore” premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on Sept. 4 and then went to the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the International People’s Choice Award. The critics have been just as warm. Deadline’s Pete Hammond called Scott’s work “heartbreakingly great” and a “performance for the ages.” Variety’s Clayton Davis went further, writing that “this is the role of Scott’s career.”
The film screens next at the London Film Festival, which gives U.K. audiences a first look ahead of the January release.
Why This Matters for Scott
Scott has been a scene-stealer for years, from Moriarty in “Sherlock” to the Hot Priest in “Fleabag,” and more recently in “All of Us Strangers” and “Ripley.” In my view, “Elsinore” looks like the role that finally puts him at the center of the best actor conversation instead of on its edges. Playing an actor who takes on Hamlet while facing his own mortality is exactly the kind of internal, high-wire performance that tends to win over awards voters.
With a festival prize already in hand, the real test comes Nov. 20, when general audiences get their turn.
Source: Deadline Film
Written with the help of AI, reviewed and edited by Harmony Daniels.
