Andrew Scott’s Elsinore to Open the 70th BFI London Film Festival

The 70th BFI London Film Festival will open on 7 October 2026 with the European premiere of Simon Stone’s Elsinore, an actor-led drama starring Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman. Presented as the festival’s Opening Night Gala at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, the screening places a distinctly London story at the centre of the BFI’s landmark anniversary edition.

Written by BAFTA winner and Golden Globe nominee Stephen Beresford, Elsinore is based on the life of actor Ian Charleson and follows his preparation for a defining performance as Hamlet at London’s National Theatre. Scott, who also serves as a producer on the film, takes the central role, while Colman joins an extensive ensemble drawn from British theatre, film and television.

The choice of venue gives the premiere an additional connection to Charleson’s story. Royal Festival Hall stands close to the National Theatre, where the actor delivered his acclaimed final stage performance in Richard Eyre’s 1989 production of Hamlet. In opening the festival with Elsinore, the BFI brings together cinema and London’s theatrical history within the same cultural landscape.

“We couldn’t be prouder to be able to present this quintessentially London film on the opening night of the BFI London Film Festival,” said Simon Stone, Director of Elsinore. “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.”

Stone, whose previous films include The Dig, directs a cast that also features Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson, David Dawson, Monica Dolan, Matthew Beard, Joe Locke, Georgie Glen, Sadie Soverall, Adeel Akhtar, Dickie Beau, Kadiff Kirwan, Juliet Stevenson and Peter Mullan.

Piper’s appearance reunites her with Stone following their collaboration on Yerma at the Young Vic, for which she received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress. The wider cast further strengthens the production’s connection to British performance culture, bringing together actors whose work spans the West End, prestige television and independent cinema.

“Anchored by Andrew Scott’s astounding central performance, few films will leave a lasting imprint on audiences this year quite like Elsinore,” said Kristy Matheson, Artistic Director of the BFI London Film Festival. “We could not be prouder to open the 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival with Elsinore, a film that centres community, resistance and the triumph of art.”

The film is produced by Andrea Occhipinti for Lucky Red and Gabrielle Tana for Magnolia Mae Films, alongside Pete Shilaimon and Mickey Liddell of LD Entertainment, Stefano Massenzi and Carolyn Marks Blackwood. It is a StudioCanal, LD Entertainment, Lucky Red and Magnolia Mae Films production.

StudioCanal will release Elsinore in UK cinemas on 29 January 2027. Focus Features has acquired the film for the United States, where it is scheduled to open in selected cinemas on 20 November 2026.

Running from 7 to 18 October 2026, the 70th BFI London Film Festival will return to venues across the capital, including BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX, Curzon Soho, the Institute of Contemporary Arts, Prince Charles Cinema and Vue West End. Festival screenings will also take place in ten cities across the UK, including Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Glasgow and Bristol.

The complete programme will be announced on 2 September, with general ticket sales opening on 17 September 2026 and priority booking available to BFI Members.