Andrew Scott to play Ian Charleson in new film Elsinore, directed by Simon Stone

Elsinore, a new feature film starring Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman, will begin filming next year.

The film will be directed by Simon Stone and written by Stephen Beresford, and is based on the life of actor Ian Charleson.

Elsinore centres on the period during which Charleson was preparing to play Hamlet at the National Theatre. Famously, Charleson, though seriously ill from AIDS, was brought in to the production after Daniel Day-Lewis abandoned the production, and garnered rave reviews. He died less than two months later, with the Ian Charleson Awards then founded in his honour.

Scott will appear in the lead role, with Colman also starring. Stone directs following his BAFTA-nominated work on The Dig, with Beresford writing the screenplay after Pride. Scott is also attached as a producer, while Beresford serves as an executive producer alongside Ethan Silverman, who originated the project.

Filming is set to begin on 5 January 2026, and an ensemble cast of British actors will be announced at a later date.

 The film will be released theatrically in the UK, France, Germany, Poland, Benelux, Australia and New Zealand, with Lucky Red handling distribution in Italy.

The creative team includes cinematographer Mike Eley, production designer Helen Scott, costume designer Mel Page and editor Valerio Bonelli, with casting by Jessica Ronane.

Scott previously played Hamlet at the Almeida Theatre and in the West End, earning rave reviews.