The film ‘Ink,’ directed by Danny Boyle and starring Jack O’Connell as newspaperman Larry Lamb and Guy Pearce as Rupert Murdoch, had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday evening. The production subsequently screened at the Telluride Film Festival on Friday for its North American debut. Boyle, screenwriter James Graham and O’Connell participated in their first joint interview following the Venice showing.
Graham wrote the original stage play approximately a decade ago, beginning development in 2016 with an initial off-West End London production featuring 350 seats. The play subsequently transferred to the West End and Broadway, where it played in 2019. Graham noted surprise at the play’s international success despite its distinctly British subject matter, arguing that culturally specific storytelling can achieve universal resonance. He emphasized the film’s relevance to contemporary concerns about discourse, news credibility and the distinction between fact and misinformation in the modern media landscape.
Boyle attended the stage production and observed that despite the theatrical version’s focus on Murdoch, the narrative ultimately centered on the northern English character of Lamb. After Graham independently adapted the play into a screenplay, Boyle expressed interest in directing. The filmmaker acknowledged that the cinematic version would diverge from its theatrical predecessor, incorporating elements such as Lamb’s internal perspective, a kidnapping sequence and the introduction of the Page 3 girl.
Financing proved challenging, with potential backers expressing skepticism about theatrical adaptations and concerns regarding legal implications related to the Murdoch subject matter. Studio Canal eventually provided funding that enabled production to proceed. Boyle had previously collaborated with O’Connell on 2025’s ’28 Years Later’ and sought both O’Connell and Pearce for the project, despite financier suggestions to consider alternative actors. Pearce agreed to participate once Boyle secured sufficient funding to proceed with both preferred casting choices.
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