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Lionsgate UK Acquires Ian McKellen Thriller ‘The Critic’


The studio will release the feature in UK and Irish cinemas on Friday 13 September.

The film stars McKellen ( The Lord of the Rings, X-Men) alongside Gemma Arterton ( The King’s Man, Funny Woman), Mark Strong ( 1917, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Alfred Enoch ( How To Get Away With Murder, The Couple Next Door), Romola Garai ( One Life, Scoop), Ben Barnes ( Shadow and Bone) and Lesley Manville ( Phantom Thread, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris). Set in 1930s London, the pic is described as “a thrilling tale of ambition, blackmail, and desire with a dazzling anti-hero at its heart.” The synopsis reads: When the most feared and vicious theatre critic in town Jimmy Erskine (Mckellen), finds himself suddenly in the cross hairs of the Daily Chronicle’s new owner David Brooke (Strong), he strikes a Faustian pact with struggling actress Nina Land (Arterton) who is desperate to win his favor. “This taut and gripping thriller, led by Ian McKellen’s completely captivating performance, had us on the edge of our seats,” said Marie-Claire Benson, Executive Vice President and Head of the Lionsgate UK Motion Picture Group.

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