Danny Boyle’s ‘Ink’ Trailer Puts Guy Pearce’s Rupert Murdoch at the Center of a Tabloid Revolution

Danny Boyle’s ‘Ink’ is one of the more intriguing awards-season titles heading to Netflix. The Oscar-winning director behind ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘Steve Jobs’ is turning his attention to the birth of one of Britain’s most famous newspapers, and the result has already made waves on the festival circuit.

The film is based on a celebrated stage play. James Graham adapts his own 2017 play of the same name, which debuted on the West End before moving to Broadway. Set in London in 1969, the story follows how a struggling newspaper called The Sun was transformed into a brash tabloid sensation.

Now Netflix has released the official trailer. It stars Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy, and teases a group of visionaries and misfits with an idea for a new kind of news, one that would give people what they want and change the world we live in today.

The trailer captures the film’s energy right away. It opens with Pearce’s Murdoch asking what makes a good story, before cutting to O’Connell’s Lamb, who replies that any scandal is fair game.

The release plan is also locked in. ‘Ink’ arrives in select theaters on December 11 before streaming on Netflix on January 8, 2027, in the United States and Latin America. UK audiences will see it in cinemas in January through StudioCanal.

The official trailer for INK. Starring Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce, and Claire Foy. From Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle. A group of visionaries and misfits had an idea for a new kind of news — one that would give the people what they want and would change the face of the world we live in today. Based on the Tony Award-winning play of the same name. In theaters December 11 and on Netflix January 8 in the US and Latin America.

— Netflix (@netflix) November 10, 2026

The cast is led by 2 powerhouse performers. O’Connell, known for ‘Sinners’ and ’28 Years Later’, plays editor Larry Lamb, while Pearce, an Oscar nominee for ‘The Brutalist’, plays Rupert Murdoch. Their partnership drives the story. Murdoch buys the failing paper and recruits Lamb to reshape it, and the film follows how they changed the news business forever.

Claire Foy rounds out the lead trio. She plays Jules Davies, a fictional reporter at The Sun who serves as a composite of several female journalists of the era. The wider ensemble includes Blake Harrison, Brian Gleeson, Bertie Carvel and Jonathan Hyde. ‘Ink’ has already found an enthusiastic audience. The film opened the 83rd Venice Film Festival on September 2, and the black-tie crowd gave it a 4-minute standing ovation.

First trailer for Danny Boyle’s ‘INK’, starring Jack O’Connell and Guy Pearce. The film follows the 2 individuals who re-launched The Sun into the UK’s most influential & infamous tabloid news outlet. Releasing January 8 on Netflix & UK theaters. https://t.co/pyUHD7UJrc

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 2, 2026

Critics have been largely positive, though not without reservations. The Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus praises Boyle’s stylistic flair in capturing the amoral thrill of tabloid news, while calling the film an uneven media indictment anchored by O’Connell’s superb performance. The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney described it as an irreverent and inventive recap of what Murdoch created.

Not every review was glowing. DiscussingFilm argued that the gritty tabloid drama lacks accountability, while others felt the adaptation was less interesting than its subject. The project fits neatly into Boyle’s filmography. He has tackled real-life stories before with ‘Steve Jobs’ and ‘127 Hours’, and the trailer suggests his trademark energy is fully on display here.

The film also reunites Boyle with O’Connell after ’28 Years Later’. Boyle first previewed ‘Ink’ at CinemaCon in April, showing a sequence in which Murdoch teaches Lamb the “Five Ws” of journalism.

Produced by Boyle, Tessa Ross, Michael Ellenberg and Tracey Seaward, ‘Ink’ runs just under 2 hours. With awards buzz building and a strong cast, it looks set to be one of Netflix’s most talked-about releases this winter.

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