Guy Pearce says Rupert Murdoch approves of his Ink casting

Guy Pearce reveals Rupert Murdoch is “very happy” he plays him in Danny Boyle’s Ink at Venice Film Festival

Guy Pearce has revealed that Rupert Murdoch is “very happy” about his casting as the media mogul in Danny Boyle’s upcoming film Ink.

Pearce discussed the reaction during the Ink press conference at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday, September 2. The actor said he had not spoken directly with Murdoch about the film but had reached out to his daughter, Elisabeth Murdoch.

“She did say to me, ‘Dad’s very happy that you’re playing him,’” Pearce said. However, he noted that Murdoch had not seen the finished film when his daughter shared the comment.

Ink, which opens the Venice Film Festival and is competing for the Golden Lion, is set in 1969. The film follows Murdoch as he takes over the struggling Sun newspaper and appoints Larry Lamb, played by Jack O’Connell, as its editor.

Screenwriter James Graham, who also wrote the Tony-winning stage play on which Ink is based, said Murdoch had seen the play twice, once in London and once on Broadway. Graham recalled that Murdoch appeared particularly interested in a sequence depicting the intense conditions inside a newspaper printing press.

Director Danny Boyle said Ink does not portray Murdoch as a straightforward villain. Instead, the film explores how he represented a new voice in a rigid British society while also examining the darker aspects of his rise.

Boyle praised O’Connell for his ability to portray those darker elements, comparing his presence to Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II.

Netflix acquired U.S. and Latin American rights to Ink, while Studiocanal is handling theatrical distribution in several international markets.