Ed Solomon and Steven Soderbergh’s ‘The Christophers’: A Tale of Legacy, Art, and Collaboration

At last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, writer Ed Solomon found himself standing between his past and future. The festival premiered his latest film, ‘The Christophers’, directed by Steven Soderbergh, while also honoring his debut work, ‘Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure’—a 1989 sci-fi comedy he co-wrote with Chris Matheson. The latter jump-started his career four decades earlier.

Solomon told TheWrap, “When I got there, two movies written exactly 40 years apart were playing side-by-side. One was about young kids who think they’ll live forever through their art, and the other was about an aging artist whose dreams were dashed, struggling with what he perceives as a failed legacy. It was fascinating—and shocking—to see both films in one place.”

Now playing nationwide, ‘The Christophers’ stars Michaela Coel as Lori Butler, an artist hired by James Corden and Jessica Gunning. They are the estranged children of Julian Sklar (played by Ian McKellen), a once-celebrated painter who abandoned his art to star on a reality competition and now records Cameo videos for cash in his London home.

Their plan? Lori will complete Julian’s unfinished paintings, and the trio will sell them as lost masterpieces. But the scheme spirals into a sharp battle of wits between Lori and Julian, resembling one of Soderbergh’s heist films—though confined to a single, crumbling estate.

From ‘Mosaic’ to ‘The Christophers’: A Decade-Long Collaboration

‘The Christophers’ marks the latest milestone in a creative partnership between Soderbergh and Solomon that began over a decade ago. Solomon recalled receiving a call about a branching narrative project, a concept Soderbergh was eager to explore. Solomon, a fan of Soderbergh’s work, seized the opportunity.

“Then I bought a ticket and went to New York and was like, ‘Yeah, I’m here. Happy to meet,’” Solomon recounted. The meeting was productive. They discussed the project, which initially took shape as ‘Mosaic’—a 350-page script for an interactive, user-driven narrative experience. HBO later greenlit the project, expanding it to a 400-page script. The online platform allowed viewers to shape the story’s direction, though the site ultimately shut down.

Solomon and Soderbergh’s collaboration has since evolved into more traditional filmmaking, culminating in ‘The Informer’ (2019) and now ‘The Christophers’. Solomon described their dynamic as one where Soderbergh’s curiosity about storytelling and technology continually pushes boundaries. “We thought, ‘Oh, this is kind of interesting,’” Solomon said. “And then we thought, ‘Let’s see if we can do something longer with it.’”

Art, Identity, and the Weight of Legacy

At its core, ‘The Christophers’ examines the fragility of artistic legacy and the cost of abandoning one’s craft. Julian Sklar’s journey—from celebrated painter to reality TV judge to Cameo performer—mirrors the precarious nature of creative fulfillment. Lori’s role as an artist hired to exploit her father’s unfinished work adds another layer of moral complexity.

The film’s confined setting—a single, decaying estate—heightens the tension, turning the narrative into a psychological battle as much as a heist. Solomon’s sharp dialogue and Soderbergh’s precise direction create a story that is as much about human frailty as it is about deception.

For Solomon, the experience of seeing his first and latest films juxtaposed at TIFF was surreal. “It shocked me,” he admitted. Yet it also underscored the thematic throughline of his career: the tension between youthful ambition and the realities of artistic legacy.