Simon Stone’s Elsinore is being talked about as one of awards season’s new contenders. The film tells the story of Ian Charleson, who played Hamlet at the National Theatre and then died of AIDS-related complications, and opens in cinemas on November 20.
The story
Charleson took the title role in Hamlet at the National Theatre shortly before his death. When the lead walks off stage, director Richard Eyre wants Ian to take over the part. The film tells this period through a passion for the stage and friendship under the shadow of illness.
Cast
Andrew Scott plays Charleson. The cast also includes Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn (as Richard Eyre), Juliet Stevenson, Peter Mullan, Joe Locke as Nicholas, a young patient on the AIDS ward, Matthew Beard as director Sean Mathias and David Dawson as Derek Jarman. The screenplay is by Stephen Beresford; the film runs 111 minutes and is distributed by Focus Features in the US.
Critical reception
The film played at Toronto; critics’ general view runs from positive to mixed. Scott’s performance is the shared praise; some write-ups judge the film a reticent biography. The possibility of a Shakespeare adaptation earning an actor an Oscar comes up for the second year running.
Frequently asked questions
When does Elsinore open? November 20, 2026.
Who directs? Simon Stone.
Who stars? Andrew Scott.
How long is it? 111 minutes.
