Steven Soderbergh is back with a new thriller, The Christophers, which will have its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this Sunday. The film centers on the children of a renowned artist, played by Ian McKellen, who hire an art forger, portrayed by Michaela Coel, to finish some of their father’s incomplete pieces. This project could mark Soderbergh’s third film released in 2025, following Presence and Black Bag.
Plot and Context Surrounding Michaela Coel’s Role as an Art Forger
The Christophers explores complex family dynamics, focusing on art, identity, and reconciliation. Coel steps into the challenging role of an art forger, which is a departure from creating original art to replicating others’ works. The story delves into themes of separation and unity, highlighting the fractured relationship of McKellen’s character and how the art plays a part in reuniting his divided self.
Coel reflected on her experience portraying the forger, saying,
I am creative but it’s with a keyboard. It’s not with paint brushes and colors and lights and so that was different,
—Michaela Coel, Actress. She revealed a deeper connection to her character through the theme of reconciliation:
But there’s something at the heart of the script for me, which I enjoy seeing in any script, which is the idea of separation and unity. And I think for Ian’s character, he has separated from parts of himself, and this film is the process of him uniting the parts that have become disparate, his vulnerable side, his creative side, and bringing that into himself.
—Michaela Coel, Actress.
Michaela Coel Sees Parallels Between Herself and Her Character
Coel also found a personal link to her role, relating her own life journey to the theme of integration depicted in the film. She expressed how her character’s path mirrored her own experiences of compromise and adaptation.
It’s the same with my character. I used to have hopes and dreams, and I thought that this would work out for me in the same way it did for Ian’s character. And I have had to separate those hopes and dreams in order to become this person that is either forging work or restoring other people’s works or selling Chinese food in a truck, and so I’m also uniting those parts back into myself,
—Michaela Coel, Actress. She added,
It’s a very simple thing, separation and unity, but something I’m very attracted to as an actor.
—Michaela Coel, Actress.
Working Alongside Sir Ian McKellen
Coel shared her admiration for working with Ian McKellen, describing the experience as genuinely uplifting. She recalled the preparation for their collaboration, which involved a special script readthrough at McKellen’s home.
I remember having lots of chats with you Ed [Solomon, the screenwriter], and I just remember thinking, I just want to support Ian. I’m just here for Ian, whatever Ian needs.
—Michaela Coel, Actress. At the time, she was in Ghana for several months but returned to England for this important moment.
Her first meeting with McKellen was marked by warmth and respect:
I flew back from Ghana, after being there for five months, dropped my bags, went straight to Ian’s house. Was like, ‘Hello, nice to meet you.’ He’s everything delightful that you could possibly imagine,
—Michaela Coel, Actress. She concluded,
I have chills just remembering that.
—Michaela Coel, Actress.
Significance and Anticipation for the Film’s Release
If The Christophers secures distribution, it will further establish Soderbergh’s prolific output for 2025 and showcase Coel’s versatility in the challenging role of an art forger. The film’s nuanced exploration of fractured identities and the power of art to heal promises a reflective cinematic experience. Fans and critics alike will watch closely as this collaboration unfolds at the Toronto International Film Festival, potentially influencing future projects both for Soderbergh and Coel in their evolving careers.
