Andrew Scott's "jaw-dropping" drama with Olivia Colman and Billie Piper gets emotional trailer

Elsinore, the "jaw-dropping" drama starring Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman, has unveiled its emotional first trailer. Boasting a stacked cast of British talent, the film has been acclaimed since premiering earlier this month.

The real-life drama sees Scott portray Ian Charleson, as the Scottish actor prepares for the National Theatre's production of Hamlet in 1989. Having already been diagnosed with AIDS, Charleson has to confront his own mortality as well as a major role.

Directed by Simon Stone from a screenplay by Stephen Beresford, the first full-length trailer for the eagerly-awaited drama has now been unveiled by Focus Features, with it coming a few months before its theatrical release in the UK.

Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV

The clip begins with Charleson referencing his role in Chariots of Fire, before he lands the lead role in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic tragedy. He then has a meeting with Dr Margaret Johnson (Colman), where he is given bad news.

In addition to Scott and Colman, the stellar cast for the film includes Billie Piper, Sadie Soverall, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson, Monica Dolan, Juliet Stevenson, Matthew Beard, Peter Mullan and Joe Locke.

Following its premiere at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival, Elsinore has been praised by critics, with Scott's performance being widely acclaimed. At the time of writing, it has an impressive approval rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes from 38 reviews.

"Scott handles all of this with hidden-camera naturalism, helped out by Stone, who, while embracing a simplicity of style, also doesn’t just plant a camera and let his lead park and bark, as is typical of British biopics," opined New York Post.

"There's no artifice to Scott's deeply felt performance despite being an actor playing an actor playing a character, he makes it all feel as real and as raw as it can be," noted The Guardian, while The Playlist described Scott's performance as "jaw-dropping".

Related: "Must-see" Oasis movie from Peaky Blinders boss confirms Disney+ release date

The Hollywood Reporter was also full of praise, writing: "Scott's searing dual performance makes Stone's film an emotional powerhouse even if it doesn't avoid inspirational cliché. But it's a vivid picture of London at the height of the AIDS crisis."

Despite being about a British figure, the film is being released in the US first, with its run starting in November. It comes to the UK in January 2027, though it will screen at the 70th BFI London Film Festival next month.

Elsinore is released in the US on 20 November, before coming to the UK on 29 January 2027.

Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.

The new edition of Legends, a 100-page celebration of Dolly Parton's life, is here. Buy Dolly in newsagents or online.

Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.