Focus Features Acquires Ian Charleson Biopic “Elsinore” for Awards Season

Focus Features has purchased the U.S. and multiple international rights to “Elsinore,” a biographical drama about actor Ian Charleson, starring Andrew Scott and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman. The deal ends a competitive bidding war among several studios and positions the film as a prestige contender on Focus’s fall slate. The studio plans a festival launch ahead of a targeted fall release.

Variety Magazine

Written by Stephen Beresford, “Elsinore” chronicles the final months of Charleson’s life, focusing on his 1989 performance as Hamlet at London’s National Theatre while he privately battled AIDS. The ensemble includes Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson, Monica Dolan, Juliet Stevenson, Joe Locke, Adeel Akhtar, Matthew Beard, David Dawson (as Derek Jarman), Kadiff Kirwan, Dickie Beau and Peter Mullan. Directed by Simon Stone, the production is a co-venture of StudioCanal, LD Entertainment, Lucky Red and Magnolia Mae Films, with cinematographer Mike Eley and editor Valerio Bonelli.

Variety Magazine

Focus is eyeing a fall release and is courting major festivals—Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York—though a premiere venue has not yet been confirmed. Programmers at each festival are reportedly “circling the title,” indicating strong interest in positioning the film for awards consideration.

Variety Magazine

The acquisition adds a theater-world awards play to a diverse lineup that already includes the breakout horror “Obsession,” a “Sense and Sensibility” remake starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Robert Eggers’ gothic horror “Werwulf,” and Paul Greengrass’ “The Uprising” with Andrew Garfield and Jamie Bell. “Elsinore” therefore broadens the studio’s eclectic fall offerings.

Variety Magazine

• “The deal closes a competitive bidding war among several studios for the Simon Stone-directed drama and adds a prestige contender to the Focus slate.” — Variety report

Variety Magazine

• “Eyeing a fall release, the studio is planning a festival launch to kick off the film’s awards run.” — Variety report

Variety Magazine

• “The acquisition adds “Elsinore” to a Focus awards slate that has quickly become one of the fall’s most eclectic.” — Variety report

Variety Magazine

• “With “Elsinore,” Focus adds a genuine theater-world awards play to pair with its starrier titles — one built around a lead performance that had studios competing well before a festival was even named.” — Variety report

Variety Magazine