The film festival will take place from the 7th to the 18th October.
It has been announced that Simon Stone’s Elsinore will make its European debut as the Opening Night Gala at this year’s BFI London Film Festival.
With the film set to be released in cinemas across the UK on the 29th January 2027, Elsinore is based on the life of Ian Charleson who faced incredible odds while preparing to give the performance of his life in Hamlet at the National Theatre in London. It has been written by BAFTA winner and Golden Globe nominee Stephen Beresford.
Elsinore’s cast is led by BAFTA winner and multi-Golden Globe nominee Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers, Ripley, Pressure) and Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy winner and BFI Fellow Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Crown, The Lost Daughter).
They are joined in the film by Billie Piper (Wednesday, Scoop) reuniting with Simon Stone following her Laurence Olivier award-winning performance in Yerma at The Young Vic. Johnny Flynn (Ripley, Beast), Luke Thompson (Bridgerton, Transatlantic), BAFTA and Olivier winner Monica Dolan (Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, Days Of The Bagnold Summer), Olivier winner Juliet Stevenson (Reawakening, Truly Madly Deeply), Joe Locke (Heartstopper Forever, Agatha All Along), BAFTA winner Adeel Akhtar (Ali & Ava, Sherwood), Matthew Beard (The Testament of Ann Lee, Vienna Blood), David Dawson (My Policeman, The Last Kingdom), Kadiff Kirwan (Slow Horses, This Is Going To Hurt), Dickie Beau (What It Feels Like For A Girl, Bohemian Rhapsody) and BAFTA winner Peter Mullan (I Swear, Ozark).
The film is produced by Andrea Occhipinti of Lucky Red (Il Divo, Everybody Knows) alongside Gabrielle Tana of Magnolia Mae Films (The Dig, Philomena), Pete Shilaimon and Mickey Liddell of LD Entertainment (Jackie, Anthropoid) and Stefano Massenzi and Carolyn Marks Blackwood.
Talking of the news, Director Simon Stone said: “We couldn’t be prouder to be able to present this quintessentially London film on the opening night of the BFI London Film Festival. Ian Charleson had many of his greatest triumphs on the stages of the West End, at the Young Vic and of course the National, where he ended his short but dazzling career playing an unforgettable Hamlet. We are so lucky to have Andrew Scott, a London Hamlet himself, breathing delicate inspiring life into this beautiful story. I can’t wait to share it with the hometown audience!”
Further programme details of the BFI London Film Festival will be unveiled in September.