Ian McKellen and Roger Allam bring their stage roles to the screen in Frank and Percy, a romantic drama directed by Sean Mathias that premiered at the London Film Festival on October 13, 2026, following its theatrical adaptation of Ben Weatherill’s 2023 play.
The film expands the original two-hander stage play written by Ben Weatherill, which featured Roger Allam and Ian McKellen in the lead roles. Screenwriter Martin Sherman adapted the script for the screen under the direction of Sean Mathias, who also helmed the West End production.
Dog Walking on Hampstead Heath and an Unexpected Romance
The story unfolds on Hampstead Heath in London, where two lonely men cross paths while walking their dogs. Allam plays Frank, a retired history teacher and widower whose wife died of cancer a few years earlier, leaving him to pass the time by moping around a garden centre and volunteering at a charity shop. McKellen stars as Percy, an academic sociologist and climate scientist who is separated from his ex-partner.
Initially, their interactions are casual and cordial. Over the course of regular park meetings, their bond deepens. Percy eventually asks if he might kiss Frank, sparking a transformation that prompts Frank to question his sexuality and discover new emotional depths later in life. Icon Film Distribution handles the distribution and released an official trailer ahead of the festival debut.
A Stacked Supporting Cast of British Icons
The screen adaptation surrounds its leads with a notable supporting ensemble. Joanna Lumley plays Belinda, an elegant woman suffering from early-onset dementia who is also Frank’s sister-in-law. Stephen Fry appears as Percy’s waspish ex-partner, and Derek Jacobi appears as a salaried charity shop employee. Percy also goes in for age-gap dates from a niche website called Papa Search.
Peter Davison, Felicity Kendal, Dame Sheila Hancock, Gary Wilmot, Nitin Ganatra, Amari Bacchus, and Wayne Sleep also round out the expansive roster. In addition to its esteemed stars, Frank and Percy includes actor/comic Stephen Fry, Baby Reindeer’s Jessica Gunning, and Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa.
Audiences Embrace Two Men Falling in Love
Reflecting on the play’s earlier run across venues like Windsor and Bath, McKellen noted how audiences embraced the material.
“What’s interesting, having played it for seven weeks in Windsor, two in Bath, is that a perfectly straight audience is happy to take on the joy of watching two old guys make fools of themselves and fall in love.”
Ian McKellen, via Queerty
He added: They love it. Even 10 years ago, you couldn’t have expected that. The world’s moved on. Of course, I do think theatre audiences are probably the vanguard of social change.
Key emotional beats in the narrative are punctuated by memorable character dialogue.
“I felt like I did when I had a cataract removed.”
Frank, via The Guardian
“How lucky you are to have a broken heart at 77!”
Belinda, via The Guardian
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