Overview

• In a video played September 7 at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre, McKellen said “Better safe than sorry” and asked attendees to tell friends about the film.
• He shared no specifics about his condition, and reports say it is unclear whether the advice is connected to his 2024 onstage fall.
• Director Steven Soderbergh’s dark comedy features Michaela Coel, James Corden and Jessica Gunning, who praised McKellen in festival interviews.
• McKellen has previously described suffering a chipped vertebra and a fractured wrist in the West End accident and subsequently withdrawing from stage work.
• Production reports indicate he filmed his role in February 2025, described as his first project since the fall.