Ink is a 2026 biographical drama film directed by Danny Boyle and adapted by James Graham from his 2017 stage play. A co-production of the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, it follows Larry Lamb (Jack O'Connell) as he accepts Rupert Murdoch (Guy Pearce) offer to be the editor of the British tabloid newspaper The Sun.
The film had its world premiere as the opening film of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2026, where it competed for the Golden Lion. It is scheduled to be released in select theatres in the United States on 11 December 2026, before releasing on Netflix on 8 January 2027 in the United States, followed by its theatrical release in the United Kingdom by StudioCanal on 8 January. The film received positive reviews from critics.
Contents
Cast
Jack O'Connell as Larry Lamb, the Yorkshire-born editor for The Sun and former Northern editor for The Daily Mirror
Guy Pearce as Rupert Murdoch, an Australian businessman and newspaper magnate who becomes The Sun's new owner
Claire Foy as Jules Davies, a reporter for The Sun and Larry's mistress; Jules is a fictional character who is an amalgam of various female reporters who worked on Fleet Street at the time
Blake Harrison as Ray, chief subeditor for The Sun
Patrick Kennedy as Bernard Shrimsley, deputy editor for The Sun
Angus Imrie as Beverley Goodway, house photographer of Page 3 girls for The Sun
Brian Gleeson as Brian, news reporter for The Sun
Bertie Carvel as Hugh Cudlipp, editor-in-chief for The Mirror and Larry's former boss; Carvel originated the role of Rupert Murdoch in the original play
Jonathan Hyde as Sir Alick McKay, Murdoch's deputy and senior executive as News Limited
Lucy Russell as Muriel McKay, Alick's wife
Christopher Fulford as Frank, sports editor for The Sun
Production
The film is adapted by James Graham from his own stage play Ink. It is directed by Danny Boyle and produced by StudioCanal, Media Res, and House Productions. Boyle is also a producer, alongside Tessa Ross, Michael Ellenberg and Tracey Seaward, with Alwin H. Küchler as director of photography.
In August 2025, Guy Pearce and Jack O'Connell joined the cast in the roles of Rupert Murdoch and Larry Lamb.
Principal photography began in London in October 2025, with additional scenes filmed in Saltaire, Yorkshire. That month, filming also took place in Hebden Bridge and Halifax, West Yorkshire. Claire Foy joined the cast in October.
The film uses an estimated 30 seconds of generative AI, including mice scurrying around on the newsroom floor and animated photographs.
Release
Ink had its world premiere as the opening film at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2026. It had its North American premiere at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival. It was also selected for the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
In July 2026, Netflix acquired U.S. and Latin American distribution rights to the film.
The film is scheduled to be released in select theatres in the United States on 11 December 2026, before releasing on Netflix on 8 January 2027 in the United States and Latin America. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it will also be theatrically released on 8 January 2027.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 36 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
In a positive review David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter described the film as "a rise-and-fall story, played with aggressive self-determination but not monomaniacal monstrousness by O’Connell", prising the film nature in reporting "a chronicle of the degradation of what passes for news reporting".
British critic Peter Bradshaw gave the film 3 out of 5 stars in The Guardian, praising Jack O'Connell's performance, calling it "resoundingly tough and confident", finding, however, that "the film is perhaps unsure exactly how much prominence to give this horrible affair in the midst of the bleary, knowing and lenient black comedy that governs everything else", pointing out that "perhaps the kidnapping should occupy a more central dramatic position".
