Danny Boyle opens 83rd Venice Film Festival with Rupert Murdoch drama 'Ink'

Festival opening and honours

Danny Boyle opened the 83rd Venice Film Festival on Wednesday night with "Ink", a drama competing for the Golden Lion. The film marks Boyle's first appearance at the festival on the Lido following previous directorial work on "28 Years Later", "Trainspotting", and "Slumdog Millionaire". Two days before the premiere, Boyle received Variety's Creative Impact in Directing Award during a pre-opening party at the Hotel Excelsior poolside terrace. In his acceptance speech, Boyle praised Venice director Alberto Barbera for selecting what he called the oddest film to open the festival.

When Alberto rang up to say that this film was going to open the Venice Film Festival, I thought he was insane.

Festival director Alberto Barbera noted that the pre-opening event returned after a one-year hiatus to bring together filmmakers, distributors, and critics. Actor Jack O'Connell, who plays Sun editor Larry Lamb in the film, presented the award to Boyle and commended his ability to capture Britain's cultural moments.

Danny has always had a remarkable and unique instinct for capturing the mood of Britain and its people, from directing 'Trainspotting' to staging the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, he has repeatedly found ways to reflect something essential about the country at a particular moment in time.

Murdoch portrayal and press conference

"Ink" focuses on the year 1969, when Rupert Murdoch acquired the struggling Sun newspaper and installed Lamb to compete against the Daily Mirror. During Wednesday's festival press conference, Guy Pearce discussed his role as Murdoch and revealed he had spoken with the publisher's daughter, Elisabeth Murdoch, prior to the screening.

She did say to me, 'Dad's very happy that you're playing him.' But he hadn't seen the film at that point, so we'll see.

Screenwriter James Graham, who adapted his Tony-winning stage play for the screen, said Murdoch had previously attended performances on both the West End and Broadway. Graham recalled that Murdoch refrained from revealing his reaction to the full plot, though he appeared to enjoy scenes depicting the steam, dirt, and mechanical operations of historical printing presses.

Production and international release

The film features a central cast that includes Guy Pearce, Jack O'Connell, and Claire Foy. Boyle produced the feature alongside Tessa Ross, Michael Ellenberg, and Tracey Seaward, reuniting with Ross following their previous collaboration on "Slumdog Millionaire". Production was handled by Media Res, House Productions, and Studiocanal.

Following the festival announcement, Netflix acquired the distribution rights for the United States and Latin America. Studiocanal is handling theatrical distribution across European markets, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy. The screening begins an extensive schedule of competition films, press conferences, and industry meetings across the Lido.