‘Ink’ Teaser: Guy Pearce Plays Rupert Murdoch in Danny Boyle’s Biopic About the Rise of The Sun Tabloid

After a career comeback and an Oscar nomination in 2024 for his performance as a cruel and sociopathic businessman in “The Brutalist,” Guy Pearce is back in similar territory. But this time, he’s playing a very real (and very controversial) figure. The Australian actor stars as news magnate Rupert Murdoch in “Ink,” a new film about the rise of the British tabloid The Sun. Netflix has released the teaser for the drama ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Directed by Danny Boyle, “Ink” is written by James Graham, who adapts his own 2017 play of the same name. Set in 1969, the play focuses on the relationship and business partnership between Murdoch, looking to expand outside of his native Australia, and Larry Lamb, a British newspaper editor hired by Murdoch to take over and revamp The Sun. The play explored the ruthless business practices both men practiced to make the tabloid one of the biggest papers in the United Kingdom, using populist and sensationalist reporting to appeal to the masses and sexualised photoshoots of female glamour models to attract male readers. Acclaimed by critics at the time, the original West End and Broadway productions saw Bertie Carvel win Olivier and Tony Awards for playing Murdoch. The film version stars Pearce opposite Jack O’Connell, who previously worked with Boyle on “28 Years Later.” Claire Foy will also star in the film, playing a fictional reporter of The Sun that acts as a composite of various female reporters of the time period. Boyle produces the film with Tracey Seaward, Tessa Ross, and Michael Ellenberg. Graham executive produces with Anna Marsh, Ron Halpern, Tonia Davis, Zoë Edwards, and Joe Naftalin and Sudie Smyth for StudioCanal. The film is a production of StudioCanal, Media Res, and House Productions. “Ink” will have its world premiere as the opening film of the Venice Film Festival on September 2. The film will release in select theaters December 11, and stream on Netflix in the U.S. and Latin America on January 8. StudioCanal will handle distribution of the film in European territories as well as Australia and New Zealand. Watch the teaser for “Ink” below.