“The people who come here want to live, Ian. You – on the other hand – only want to play Hamlet.” Focus Features has revealed the first official trailer for the LGBTQ indie drama Elsinore, the story of actor Ian Charleson. Directed by fellow actor Simon Stone, this film premiered at the 2026 Telluride Film Festival earlier this month and also played at TIFF, with debuts at London, Mill Valley, Montclair, Chicago, and AFI Fest coming up soon. A powerful, deeply moving and inspiring story of the actor Ian Charleson who faced incredible odds and a tragic AIDS diagnosis while preparing to give the performance of his life in Hamlet at the National Theatre in London. TIFF adds: “Andrew Scott delivers a career-best performance in Elsinore, wondrously celebrating both Charleson and Hamlet on screen. Through Scott, each real and fictional man’s confrontation with death becomes visceral, profoundly moving, and resoundingly answers Shakespeare’s famed question with ‘to be.'” Andrew Scott stars with Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Joe Locke, Peter Mullan, Charles Edwards, and Juliet Stevenson. This is all so similar to Ira Sachs’ film The Man I Love also this year. Will Andrew Scott win an Oscar playing this role? Watch & find out this fall.
Here’s the first official trailer for Simon Stone’s film Elsinore, direct from Focus’ YouTube:
Via TIFF: “Ian Charleson is widely known as the real-life star of Chariots of Fire. Its piano-led ubiquity in pop culture follows the Scottish actor everywhere, making him yearn less for Hollywood and more for his theatre roots. When Daniel Day-Lewis walks off stage as Hamlet at London’s National Theatre, the role of a lifetime appears for Ian Charleson — but so does an AIDS diagnosis. Dream and nightmare collide as Charleson strives to command the stage and survive as long as possible.” Elsinore is directed by Australian actor / filmmaker Simon Stone, director of the films The Daughter, The Dig, and The Woman in Cabin 10 previously. The screenplay is written by Stephen Beresford; based on an idea by Ethan Silverman. Produced by Andrea Occhipinti, Gabrielle Tana, Pete Shilaimon, Mickey Liddell, Stefano Massenzi, Carolyn Marks Blackwood, Andrew Scott. This initially premiered at the 2026 Telluride & Toronto Film Festivals this fall, playing London & Chicago next. Made by Studiocanal, LD Entertainment, Lucky Red, Magnolia Mae Films. Focus Features debuts Simon Stone’s Elsinore film in select US theaters starting November 20th, 2026 coming soon. It opens later in UK cinemas starting January 29th, 2027 early next year. How does it look?
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