Ian McKellen and Steven Soderbergh’s acclaimed black comedy movie is making its streaming debut on Hulu today. Also starring Emmy Award winner Michaela Coel, the film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2025.
The Christophers is now available on Hulu. Following its festival premiere, the movie received a limited theatrical release in the US on April 10, 2026. Soderbergh directed the film, while Ed Solomon, known for Now You See Me, penned the script.
Released by Neon Rated LLC, the movie was not a major box-office success following its select theatrical rollout, grossing only $4 million. However, it received a strong response from viewers. As of writing, the 1-hour 47-minute film holds a 95% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 155 reviews. The audience gave it an 87% score on the platform.
What is Ian McKellen’s The Christophers movie about?
It tells the story of an aging painter’s greedy children who hire a secret restorer to finish his unfinished portrait series before he dies, hoping to cash in on the paintings. However, their plan falls apart when the painter discovers the scheme and develops a relationship with the artist. While the two clash over their approach to art, they eventually devise a plan to outsmart the siblings’ plans for the paintings.
The film stars Ian McKellen and Michael Coel in the lead alongside James Corden, Jessica Gunning, Tilly Botsford, Daniel Fearn, Lucy McCormick, Dallas Campbell, and Ferdy Roberts.
Iain A. Canning and Jim Parks served as producers on the dark comedy drama, while Michael Schaefer and Mike Larocca joined the project as executive producers under Department M.
The Christophers, starring Ian McKellen, was released on Blu-ray on July 14, 2026, distributed by Decal Releasing in association with Neon. It is now available on Hulu.