The first official trailer for ELSINORE has arrived, and it’s a striking introduction to a film that has already been winning hearts on the festival circuit. Andrew Scott leads as the late actor Ian Charleson, and the footage suggests a performance of rare intensity and vulnerability.

Directed by Simon Stone, whose previous work includes THE DIG, and written by Stephen Beresford of PRIDE, the film is inspired by Charleson’s remarkable life and, in particular, the extraordinary pressure he faced while preparing to play Hamlet at the National Theatre in London. The official synopsis calls it a powerful, deeply moving and inspiring true story about an actor confronting incredible odds in pursuit of the performance of his life.

Early reaction from the fall festivals suggests the film delivers on that promise. Deadline’s Pete Hammond called Scott’s work “heartbreakingly great” and a “performance for the ages,” high praise that places him firmly in the awards conversation. Olivia Colman stars alongside him, and Scott also serves as a producer on the project, which speaks to just how personal this one is for him.

ELSINORE screens next at the London Film Festival, before StudioCanal brings it to Irish/UK cinemas on January 29, 2027. American audiences won’t have to wait nearly as long, as Focus holds the U.S. rights and will open the film on November 20. If the trailer and the early buzz are anything to go by, this is one to mark in the calendar.