Danny Boyle's "Ink" Gets a Release Date: Guy Pearce as Rupert Murdoch

Netflix has announced the release date for its latest acquisition, "Ink": Danny Boyle's hard-edged film about the birth of Rupert Murdoch's tabloid empire will open in select theaters on December 11, then arrive on Netflix in the US and Latin America on January 8. A new still released alongside the announcement shows Guy Pearce as the young Rupert Murdoch.

This schedule places the film squarely in the heart of awards season. "Ink" will hold its world premiere as the opening film of the Venice Film Festival, where it will compete for the Golden Lion, before moving on to its Canadian premiere in Toronto.

Starring Jack O'Connell, Claire Foy, and Guy Pearce, the film is adapted from James Graham's Tony-nominated play of the same name, with Graham himself writing the screenplay. Pearce plays a thirtysomething, ambitious Murdoch, while O'Connell plays Larry Lamb, the working-class editor who turns The Sun into a populist powerhouse.

Boyle, who won the Best Director and Best Picture Oscars for "Slumdog Millionaire" and most recently reunited with Alex Garland on "28 Years Later," is also producing the film alongside Tracey Seaward, Tessa Ross, and Michael Ellenberg. Graham's other credits include the play "Dear England" and the miniseries "Sherwood"; "Ink" itself moved to the West End and Broadway after debuting at London's Almeida Theatre in 2017.

Studiocanal, which fully financed the film, is handling world sales. International rollout begins January 6 in France and Belgium, followed by the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand on January 7, the UK and Poland on January 8, Italy on February 18, and Germany on February 25.

With its Venice launch, TIFF stop, and an expected Telluride stopover in between, the strategy is clear: Netflix plans to campaign hard for this film throughout Oscar season. The platform's slate is already crowded, with "La Bola Negra," which shared the Best Director award at Cannes, and Léa Seydoux's "Gentle Monster" also among this season's contenders.