Steven Soderbergh's 'The Christophers' Explores Art, Forgery, and Attention
Steven Soderbergh's film 'The Christophers' (2026) centers on an unlikely friendship between two painters in London: the elderly, canceled artist Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) and the young forger Lori Butler (Michaela Coel). Sklar's children hire Butler to complete a series of unfinished portraits of a model named Christopher. The film examines themes of attention, self-expression, and the realities of art forgery, contrasting Sklar's expressive but blocked creativity with Butler's meticulous observation and forgery skills. Written by Ed Solomon, the film is described as a twisty comedy that raises deep questions about why we make art. It avoids specifying the reason for Sklar's cancellation, leaving it ambiguous. The film is screening in select US theaters and will be released in the UK and Ireland on May 15.
Key facts
- The film 'The Christophers' is directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Ed Solomon.
- It stars Ian McKellen as Julian Sklar and Michaela Coel as Lori Butler.
- The story is set in modern-day London.
- Sklar's children, played by Jessica Gunning and James Corden, hire Butler to complete unfinished portraits of a model named Christopher.
- Butler is a forger who restores and sometimes forges artworks.
- The film is described as a comedy that raises questions about art, attention, and self-expression.
- Sklar has been 'canceled' but the reason is never detailed.
- The film will be released in the UK and Ireland on May 15, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Steven Soderbergh
- Ed Solomon
- Ian McKellen
- Michaela Coel
- Jessica Gunning
- James Corden
- Théodore Géricault
- Marcel Duchamp
- Julian Sklar
- Lucian Freud
- Francis Bacon
- George Barker
- Jann Haworth
- Derek Boshier
- Antonia Lowe
- Barnaby Gorton
- David Renfry
- Iona Saunders
- Sarah Bell
- Ian Cheng
- Jamian Juliano-Villani
- Martine Syms
- Patricia Highsmith
- Lisa Rosen
- George Lionel Barker
- David Hockney
- Shanti Gorton
- Nam June Paik
- Amalia Ulman
- David Remfry
- Andy Warhol
- Pablo Picasso
- Iona Sanders
- Finley Lucas
- Kimmy Hussey
- Claudette Barius
- Charlotte Chesnais
- Lori Butler
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art
- Neon
- Toronto International Film Festival
- Sotheby's
- Gazelli Art House
- Lincoln Center
- WSA Building
- The Art Newspaper
- The New York Times
- The New Yorker
- HBO
- Royal Academician
- Galerie Magazine
- Two Coats of Paint
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Republic of Ireland
- United States
- New York
- Toronto
- Canada
- Los Angeles
- FiDi
- Spain
- England
- St Ives
- Cornwall