Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman will open this year’s BFI London Film Festival with the European premiere of their film Elsinore.
The opening night gala for the British capital’s starriest festival will take place on Oct. 7, with cast members Scott, Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson, Peter Mullan and Joe Locke all expected to attend. They’ll be joined by Monica Dolan, Juliet Stevenson, Adeel Akhtar, Matthew Beard, David Dawson, Kadiff Kirwan, and Dickie Beau, who also star in Elsinore, from The Dig director Simon Stone.
The feature, written by BAFTA winner Stephen Beresford (Pride), is based on the life of Ian Charleson. It follows the actor’s final weeks before his death from AIDS, playing Hamlet at London’s National Theatre in the 1990s. Daniel Day-Lewis had abruptly pulled out mid-performance, forcing Charleson to step in and save the day. Bridgerton star Thompson described the film to THR as “a real love letter to theater.” He said earlier this year: “Every time I tell the story, I get shivers.” The London Film Festival screening is made especially poignant for audiences with the Royal Festival Hall just a stone’s throw from the National Theatre.
THR broke the news of Scott and Colman’s Fleabag reunion on Elsinore earlier this year. The Irish actor is also a producer on the film, alongside Andrea Occhipinti of Lucky Red with Gabrielle Tana of Magnolia Mae Films, Pete Shilaimon and Mickey Liddell of LD Entertainment, and Stefano Massenzi and Carolyn Marks Blackwood.
