Jack O'Connell to debut as tabloid editor Larry Lamb in Danny Boyle's "Ink" at Venice

Jack O'Connell will portray Larry Lamb, the former editor of The Sun, in Danny Boyle’s film Ink, which is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 2. The Netflix-distributed drama follows the partnership between Rupert Murdoch, played by Guy Pearce, and Lamb as they transform the British press into a sensationalist, profit-driven enterprise in the early 1970s.

O'Connell described Lamb as a figure driven by sales and willing to bend rules to boost circulation, noting the character’s “seductive” appeal in packaging scandal and desire. > "There’s something very seductive about these sins they’re packaging up and selling," he said.

Boyle cautioned against a one-sided portrayal of Murdoch, saying the film aims to avoid “monster-izing” him and instead highlight collective responsibility for tabloid culture. > "One of the dangers with doing anything about Rupert Murdoch is that everybody monster-izes him," Boyle said.

The film, which received a four-week theatrical window before its Netflix release on Jan. 8, examines how tabloid tactics such as sensational headlines and provocative imagery shaped public discourse. It also reflects on broader questions about capitalism and media influence, themes O'Connell says he finds compelling.

Ink marks O'Connell’s first major lead role in a period piece after a series of genre and character parts, and it arrives as studios cautiously return to high-profile festival premieres following recent box-office disappointments. The actor, who prefers to keep his personal life private, expressed enthusiasm for the project’s “cool” tone and its commentary on contemporary media consumption.