Full Breakdown
Netflix Secures U.S. and Latin American Rights to Danny Boyle’s *Ink*
7/18/2026, 4:11:32 AM
Core Deal and Festival Position
Netflix has purchased the United States and Latin American distribution rights to *Ink*, the new thriller directed by Academy-Award winner Danny Boyle. The film will open the 83rd Venice Film Festival on September 2, 2026, serving as the festival’s opening-night selection and competing through September 12.
Background & Production Context
*Ink* adapts James Graham’s Tony-nominated stage play of the same name, which dramatizes the 1969 launch of Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid empire in the United Kingdom. The narrative follows Murdoch (played by Guy Pearce) and “The Sun” editor Larry Lamb (Jack O’Connell) as they create a newspaper that would become the world’s biggest-selling daily. Claire Foy appears as journalist Jules Davies. Graham wrote the screenplay himself, preserving the play’s focus on “visionaries and misfits” reshaping news for a mass audience.
Key Figures & Production Partners
- Director: Danny Boyle (Academy-Award winner)
- Screenwriter: James Graham (multi-Olivier Award playwright)
- Cast: Jack O’Connell (Larry Lamb), Guy Pearce (Rupert Murdoch), Claire Foy (Jules Davies)
- Producers: Danny Boyle, Tracey Seaward, Tessa Ross, Michael Ellenberg (Media Res)
- Executive Producers: Anna Marsh, Ron Halpern, Joe Naftalin (Studiocanal), Tonia Davis, Zoë Edwards, James Graham, Sudie Smyth (Studiocanal)
- Financier & Sales Agent: Studiocanal, with worldwide sales handled alongside WME Independent.
Timeline
- July 2026: Netflix’s acquisition of U.S. and Latin American rights announced.
- September 2, 2026: World premiere as opening night at Venice Film Festival.
- September 2-12, 2026: Festival competition run.
Distribution Scope & Sales
Studiocanal will release *Ink* theatrically in its home territories—United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Benelux, Australia, and New Zealand. Netflix will stream the film across the United States and Latin America. A later industry note states that “*Ink* has sold in all territories worldwide,” suggesting that other regional distributors have secured rights beyond the Netflix-covered markets.
Why It Matters
The acquisition marks a rare instance of Netflix securing rights to a high-profile opening-night festival film, underscoring the streamer’s strategy to position itself as a contender for awards season. The film’s subject—Murdoch’s early tabloid empire—offers contemporary relevance amid ongoing debates about media influence, click-bait culture, and the evolution of news consumption.
Official Statements & Responses
Danny Boyle described the project as a “cheeky, irreverent, daring” portrayal of a tabloid that “challenged the establishment and remade our world for the modern era.” Netflix’s acquisition was handled by WME Independent and Studiocanal, reflecting confidence in the film’s commercial and critical prospects. Studiocanal confirmed its commitment to theatrical releases in its European and Oceanic territories.
Criticism & Opposition
No dissenting commentary or criticism was reported in the available sources.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources agree that Netflix obtained U.S. and Latin American rights, yet a later statement claims the film “has sold in all territories worldwide.” The precise scope of Netflix’s exclusivity versus other regional deals remains unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Long before Fox News, click bait, and Truth Social; decades before Twitter, Facebook, Google & Only Fans, these two men created a new tabloid which against all the odds became the biggest selling newspaper in the world,” — Danny Boyle, Director
- “Cheeky, Irreverent, daring: The super soaraway Sun challenged the establishment and remade our world for the modern era.” — Danny Boyle, Director
- “The film is an explosive cinematic rollercoaster about a group of visionaries and misfits who had an idea for a new kind of news — one that would give the people what they want and would change the face of the world we live in today.” — Official logline
- “Ink” has sold in all territories worldwide.” — Industry sales report
