Focus Features has premiered the trailer for the Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman-led “Elsinore,” the acclaimed biopic about the late British actor Ian Charleson.
Charleson was best known internationally for his starring role as Olympic athlete Eric Liddell in 1981 Oscar winner “Chariots of Fire,” along with a supporting role in the 1982 Oscar winner “Gandhi”.
He was, mostly though, a noted actor on the British stage and was diagnosed with HIV in 1986 before passing in 1990. He became the first celebrity death in the United Kingdom openly attributed to AIDS.
The film follows how his greatest challenge becomes his greatest triumph. When Daniel Day-Lewis gave up his role as Hamlet at London’s National Theatre, Charleson was offered it.
Facing his own mortality, he’s determined to perform “Hamlet” in a way that becomes a source of healing and inspiration for those around him.
Colman plays Margaret Johnson, a doctor treating Charleson and other men during the HIV epidemic. Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson, David Dawson, Matthew Beard, Joe Locke, Monica Dolan, Georgie Glen, Sadie Soverall, Adeel Akhtar, Dickie Beau, Kadiff Kirwan, Juliet Stevenson, and Peter Mullan co-star.
Simon Stone (“The Daughter,” “The Woman in Cabin 10”) helms the film written by Stephen Beresford. The drama had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 4th to rave reviews for Scott’s work. The film opens in cinemas on November 20th.
