Some movies come quietly. Ink launched the Venice Film Festival. If Danny Boyle’s latest drama kicking off one of the most prestigious festivals in the world on September 2, 2026, isn’t enough to tell you how much confidence is riding on this film, let’s take a look at who’s actually in it. An Oscar winning director. Featuring a Brutalist Oscar nominee, a two-time Emmy winner, and one of last year’s most talked-about breakout performances. This isn’t just another Netflix buyout. And it’s a legitimate awards-season contender, one that’s hitting your streaming queue faster than most movies this prestigious ever do.
What is Netflix’s Ink all about?
Ink is a true tale of the birth of modern tabloid journalism. The film is about Larry Lamb, a young ambitious newspaper editor, who is offered a job by a brash, hungry media mogul, Rupert Murdoch, to take over and reinvent a struggling British newspaper, The Sun. Their pitch is simple and dangerous give the reader exactly what they want, no matter the cost and what begins as a scrappy underdog experiment ends up reshaping not only British media but the world’s very relationship with news itself. It’s an explosive, high-energy story about visionaries and misfits trying to pursue an idea that is too big to be controlled once it really catches on.
The Cast
Jack O’Connell plays Larry Lamb, fresh from winning a major ensemble award for his performance in Sinners. Guy Pearce plays Rupert Murdoch, following his Oscar-nominated performance in The Brutalist, a role that has already put him back in the awards conversation. Rounding out the cast is Claire Foy as Jules Davies. Foy is a two-time Emmy winner and Golden Globe winner for The Crown, with additional BAFTA and Globe nominations for First Man. Three actors. Three very different awards season runs. All coming together for one movie.
The Writer and the Director
Directed by Danny Boyle, the Academy Award winner behind Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting and 28 Years Later The screenplay is by Tony- and Olivier Award-winning playwright James Graham, who adapted his own acclaimed stage play of the same name which premiered in 2017. Graham also adapted 1984 and wrote A Brilliant Young Mind. It’s a rare case where the writer of a film is the same person who created the original material. And that usually means the story hits the screen with its original teeth intact.
Netflix’s Ink Budget
At the moment, neither Netflix nor StudioCanal have released an official production budget for Ink. Its mid-scale period setting, UK-based shoot and prestige-drama scope rather than blockbuster spectacle means it almost certainly sits well below Netflix’s biggest tentpole originals though no confirmed figure has been made public.
Date Published
But here’s where things get interesting. Ink is not a typical Netflix original. It’s a theatrical film that Netflix acquired U.S. and Latin American streaming rights to in July 2026. That means it will receive a proper theatrical run first select U.S. theaters starting December 11, 2026 before finally streaming on Netflix in the U.S. and Latin America on January 8, 2027. In the UK and Ireland though, it will actually have a theatrical release on that same January date.
Notes on Production
Principal photography began in London in October 2025, with additional filming taking place at Saltaire, Hebden Bridge and Halifax in West Yorkshire. The film is produced by STUDIOCANAL, Media Res and House Productions, with Boyle producing alongside Tracey Seaward, Tessa Ross and Michael Ellenberg. The cinematography is by Alwin H. Küchler, and the score is by Daniel Pemberton, who composed the score for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
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Fun Facts
Ink is not a worldwide Netflix release, Netflix only has the streaming rights for the U.S. and Latin America, while StudioCanal is taking care of theatrical distribution everyplace else in the world, meaning where you are in the world really does matter for how and when you’ll be able to watch it.
The early reviews are already looking good, with the movie at 84% on Rotten Tomatoes from its first 25 critic reviews and an average score of 7.3 out of 10. The official teaser trailer is set to Troye Sivan’s “In a Dream” and bears the tagline “They broke the news that changed the world” a suitably dramatic understatement for a movie about the birth of the modern tabloid.
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FAQs
When is Ink released on Netflix?
Ink will be available on Netflix in the U.S. and Latin America on January 8, 2027, following a theatrical release on December 11, 2026.
Is Ink a true story?
Yes. It tells the true story behind the founding of The Sun tabloid by Rupert Murdoch and editor Larry Lamb.
Is Ink a play?
Yes, it is based on James Graham’s 2017 stage play of the same name which won Tony and Olivier Awards.
Who is Rupert Murdoch in Ink?
Rupert Murdoch is played by Guy Pearce.
Is Netflix’s Ink showing in theaters?
Yes. It will be in select U.S. theaters December 11, 2026, followed by streaming on Netflix.
Where was Ink filmed?
The film was shot on location in London, along with Saltaire, Hebden Bridge, and Halifax in West Yorkshire, England.
Ink opens the 83rd Venice International Film Festival and arrives in U.S. theaters December 11, 2026, before streaming on Netflix January 8, 2027.
