Guy Pearce stars as Rupert Murdoch in new film Ink at Venice Film Festival 2026
Consensus Summary
The film Ink, starring Guy Pearce as Rupert Murdoch, premiered at this year's Venice Film Festival and explores Murdoch's early career in Britain, particularly his acquisition of The Sun in the late 1960s. Both sources confirm Murdoch, now aged 95, is 'very happy' with Pearce's portrayal, though the film takes a more sympathetic view of his early business life. The film is based on a play by James Graham that ran between 2017 and 2019, and it contrasts with other portrayals like HBO’s Succession, which focuses on Murdoch’s later family conflicts. The ABC highlights Murdoch’s five marriages and six children, while the Guardian emphasizes the film’s setting in 1969 and Murdoch’s visits to the play’s performances in the West End and Broadway. Both agree the film reflects Murdoch’s role in transforming British media, though the Guardian notes his eventual shift to digital media.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Guy Pearce plays Rupert Murdoch in the film Ink, which premiered at this year's Venice Film Festival
- Rupert Murdoch is now aged 95
- The film Ink is based on a play by James Graham, which ran between 2017 and 2019
- Rupert Murdoch is described as 'very happy' that Guy Pearce is playing him in the film
- The film focuses on Murdoch's early business life in Britain, including his acquisition of The Sun in the late 1960s
- Guy Pearce had his breakout role in 1994’s The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The film Ink offers a more sympathetic view of Murdoch's attitudes towards British society, according to director Danny Boyle
- Murdoch is five-times married, and his feuds with his six children have been a subject of media attention
- A Netflix documentary, Dynasty: The Murdochs, was released in March this year, focusing on Murdoch's fight with his children over succession
- The film follows the relationship between Murdoch and his first editor of The Sun, Larry Lamb, with Lamb as the main character
- Murdoch's media empire includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The Sun, and publisher HarperCollins
- The film is set in 1969, the year Murdoch took over The Sun and installed Larry Lamb as editor
- Murdoch senior twice visited performances of the stage version of the play in the West End and on Broadway
- Murdoch 'really enjoyed' a sequence in the film showing the workings of the printing process
- The film focuses solely on Murdoch’s early years in Britain, contrasting with HBO’s Succession, which portrays his later family battles
- Director Danny Boyle’s film 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was released this year
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The ABC states the film Ink is the headline feature at this year's Venice Film Festival, while the Guardian does not explicitly state this but refers to its premiere at the festival
- The ABC mentions Murdoch’s media empire includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The Sun, and HarperCollins, while the Guardian does not list these specific outlets
Source Articles
Rupert Murdoch 'very happy' to be played by Guy Pearce in new film
A new film on the Australian-born media mogul is headlining the Venice Film Festival, with director Danny Boyle saying it takes a more sympathetic look at his early foray into British newspapers.
Rupert Murdoch ‘very happy’ that Guy Pearce plays him in Fleet Street biopic Ink
Actor says the press baron’s daughter Elisabeth told him her father was pleased, ‘but he hadn’t seen the film at that point’ Rupert Murdoch is “very happy” that he’s being portrayed by Guy Pearce in a new film about the origins of British tabloid the Sun, the Australian actor has said. Speaking at the Venice film festival ahead of the premiere of 28 Days Later director Danny Boyle’s Ink, Pearce said he had been messaging with the media tycoon’s daughter Elisabeth “and she did say ‘Dad’s very hap
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