Netflix is positioning Danny Boyle’s new film “Ink” as a major contender in the upcoming Academy Awards race, aiming for recognition for both the director and star Guy Pearce. The newsroom drama, adapted from James Graham’s Tony-nominated stage play, opened the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in competition and subsequently screened to enthusiastic responses at Telluride and Toronto.
The film chronicles Rupert Murdoch’s 1969 acquisition of the struggling tabloid The Sun and his subsequent transformation of the publication. Directed by Boyle, known for his kinetic visual style, the story explores how Murdoch and editor Larry Lamb, played by Jack O’Connell, helped shape the modern attention economy. “Ink” received a four-minute standing ovation on its opening night in Venice, signaling strong early momentum for the streamer’s awards campaign.
Pearce, who received a supporting actor nomination for “The Brutalist” two years ago, portrays a young, ambitious Murdoch. The role carries significant contemporary weight, as Murdoch is widely viewed as a central figure in today’s fragmented media landscape. O’Connell brings recent momentum to the project following his appearances in “Sinners” and the “28 Years Later” films, giving him a fighting chance in the competitive best actor category.
The screenplay adaptation by Graham follows a successful precedent similar to “One Night in Midnight,” which also premiered at Venice and earned adapted screenplay and acting nominations. Netflix is expected to leverage the film’s technical merits, including production design by Carson McColl and Gareth Pugh, editing by Fin Oates, sound design by Johnnie Burn, and an original score by Daniel Pemberton.
Despite the strong critical reception, Netflix faces internal competition for awards attention given its crowded fall slate, which includes titles such as “La Bola Negra” and “The Adventures of Cliff Booth.” The distributor must strategically highlight both Pearce and O’Connell without letting one performance overshadow the other in voters’ eyes.
Guy Pearce playing Murdoch? Bold casting. I wonder if the film dares to critique him or just romanticizes his ambition.
Finally, Boyle brings that same energy to political drama. The Venice reception sounds genuine, not just festival hype.