Ian McKellen is bringing Gandalf-level gravitas to an entirely new character. The iconic actor stars as Julian Sklar, a legendary artist, in Steven Soderbergh’s “The Christophers.” The film opened in UK and Irish cinemas today, May 22, 2026.
McKellen shared the news on his Instagram account, pointing audiences to his portrayal of Sklar and describing the film as “record-breaking.” The exact nature of that distinction hasn’t been publicly clarified. With these two names on the project, it’s not a claim anyone’s likely to dispute.
The pairing of Sir Ian McKellen and Soderbergh is the kind of casting news that makes movie fans set their phones down. McKellen turns 87 in just three days. He’s spent decades proving no role is too demanding. The two-time Oscar nominee has played Magneto in the “X-Men” franchise and Gandalf across all six Middle-earth films. He’s also one of the most celebrated stage actors of his generation, with a Shakespeare career that spans decades. A role built around a legendary artist feels like the most natural fit imaginable.
Julian Sklar – described simply as a legendary artist – plays squarely to McKellen’s strengths. His career has been built on inhabiting figures of immense gravity. Stage icons, screen villains, timeless wizards. Characters who demand everything from the actor playing them. Sklar sounds like the next addition to that list.
Soderbergh is no slouch here. He’s an Academy Award-winning director. His Oscar for “Traffic” came in 2001. He kept right on experimenting after that. He delivered “Erin Brockovich,” the “Ocean’s” trilogy, and “Behind the Candelabra.” More recently, he made “Magic Mike” and the tight thriller “Kimi.” His films are sharp and consistently surprising. Putting him behind a character study about Julian Sklar feels like a perfect creative match. The kind of director-actor pairing that earns its place in conversations about great cinema.
“The Christophers” is entering cinemas without the heavy pre-release marketing machine you’d expect from a film this stacked. The rollout has been quiet and deliberate. The film already carries that “record-breaking” label before its full release. That kind of confidence says a lot.
UK and Irish audiences get to see it first. A wider international rollout hasn’t been confirmed yet. For McKellen devotees outside the British Isles, the wait is going to be frustrating.
At 86 years old, McKellen keeps picking roles that demand full commitment. Julian Sklar, a legendary artist at the center of a Soderbergh film already being called record-breaking, sounds like another extraordinary swing.
UK and Irish cinema-goers, your Spidey senses should be firing. Ian McKellen embodying a legendary artist in a Soderbergh film is must-see cinema. Full stop.
“The Christophers” is in UK and Irish cinemas now. Tickets are available through McKellen’s official website.
This story originally appeared on Celebrityinsider
