The 70th BFI London Film Festival will open with the European premiere of STUDIOCANAL’s Elsinore, directed by BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Simon Stone. The Opening Night Gala will take place at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on 7 October 2026, with screenings also scheduled across the UK as part of the festival programme.
The festival will run from Wednesday 7 October to Sunday 18 October 2026. Cast members are expected to attend the Opening Night Gala, while STUDIOCANAL will release Elsinore in UK cinemas on 29 January 2027.
Based on the life of acclaimed actor Ian Charleson, Elsinore is written by BAFTA winner and Golden Globe nominee Stephen Beresford, known for Pride. The film tells the true story of Charleson as he prepares for his celebrated performance as Hamlet at London’s National Theatre while facing extraordinary personal challenges.
The film’s premiere at the Royal Festival Hall carries added significance, with the venue located close to the National Theatre, where Charleson delivered one of the defining performances of his career before his death.
Star-Studded Cast Led by Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman
Elsinore stars BAFTA winner and multi-Golden Globe nominee Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers, Ripley, Pressure) in the lead role, with Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Crown, The Lost Daughter) also starring. Scott additionally serves as a producer on the film.
The ensemble cast includes Billie Piper (Wednesday, Scoop), who reunites with Simon Stone following her Laurence Olivier Award-winning performance in Stone’s stage production of Yerma at The Young Vic.
The cast also features Johnny Flynn (Ripley, Beast), Luke Thompson (Bridgerton, Transatlantic), David Dawson (My Policeman, The Last Kingdom), Monica Dolan (Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, Days Of The Bagnold Summer), Matthew Beard (The Testament of Ann Lee, Vienna Blood), Joe Locke (Heartstopper Forever, Agatha All Along), Adeel Akhtar (Ali & Ava, Sherwood), Kadiff Kirwan (Slow Horses, This Is Going To Hurt), Dickie Beau (What It Feels Like For A Girl, Bohemian Rhapsody), Juliet Stevenson (Reawakening, Truly Madly Deeply) and Peter Mullan (I Swear, Ozark).
Creative Team Behind Elsinore
The film is produced by Andrea Occhipinti of Lucky Red (Il Divo, Everybody Knows), Gabrielle Tana of Magnolia Mae Films (The Dig, Philomena), Pete Shilaimon and Mickey Liddell of LD Entertainment (Jackie, Anthropoid), alongside Stefano Massenzi and Carolyn Marks Blackwood.
Speaking about the film’s selection as the festival opener, director Simon Stone said:
“We couldn’t be prouder to be able to present this quintessentially London film on the opening night of the BFI London Film Festival. 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. We are so lucky to have Andrew Scott, a London Hamlet himself, breathing delicate inspiring life into this beautiful story. I can’t wait to share it with the hometown audience!”
Kristy Matheson, Artistic Director of the BFI London Film Festival, praised the film’s performances and creative vision, saying:
“Anchored by Andrew Scott’s astounding central performance, few films will leave a lasting imprint on audiences this year quite like Elsinore. Stephen Beresford’s script offers a richly drawn world from which Director Simon Stone and his exceptional ensemble of some of the UK’s greatest talents vividly bring the story of renowned actor Ian Charleson to the screen. 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.”
International Release Plans
STUDIOCANAL will release Elsinore in UK cinemas on 29 January 2027. In the United States, Focus Features has acquired the film and will release it in select theatres from 20 November 2026.
The film is produced by STUDIOCANAL, LD Entertainment, Lucky Red and Magnolia Mae Films.
70th BFI London Film Festival Venues and Programme
The 70th BFI London Film Festival will return to several major venues across London and the UK, including:
- The Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, which will host the festival’s gala events.
- BFI Southbank, home to the competition programme, Screen Talks and LFF for Free events.
- BFI IMAX, the UK’s largest cinema screen, which will host festival screenings.
- West End partner cinemas including Curzon Soho, the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), Prince Charles Cinema and Vue West End.
- UK festival venues including Broadway Cinema in Nottingham, Chapter in Cardiff, Glasgow Film Theatre, HOME in Manchester, MAC in Birmingham, Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast, Showroom Cinema in Sheffield, Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle, Filmhouse in Edinburgh and Watershed in Bristol.
- Picturehouse Central, which will host press and industry screenings alongside the LFF Industry Forum.
Alongside cinema screenings nationwide, audiences will also be able to revisit highlights from previous festivals through a special collection of films available on BFI Player.
The full 70th BFI London Film Festival programme will be announced on Wednesday 2 September 2026, with general ticket sales opening on 17 September. BFI Members will have early booking access.