Behemoth! has been penciled in a potential Academy Awards condenter since it was announced. Written and directed by Oscar nominee Tony Gilroy with a cast led by Pedro Pascal and a score by some of Hollywood’s heavyweights, the film’s pedigree alone is award-worthy. But little was actually known about the story until the first teaser landed on Tuesday.
In the preview (watch below), Pascal plays a virtuoso musician who returns home to Los Angeles.
Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming film.
THE PLOT
According to the synopsis the film, centers on “a gifted cellist, Alex Serian (Pascal), who returns home to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road. Music, which has been the constant, all-consuming river of his life, begins to carry Alex on an adventure that will change him forever.” Gilroy has described the film as a movie about movie music.
WHO’S IN THE CAST
Besides Pascal, the film stars Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Alexa Swinton, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, JoBeth Williams, Margarita Levieva, Hank Azaria, and Will Arnett.
WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA
The film is produced by Tony Gilroy, Sanne Wohlenberg, and John Gilroy, with a unique soundtrack that features original work from nine separate composers. Among them are Oscar winner Michael Giacchino (Ratatouille and Up) and Oscar nominees James Newton Howard (Michael Clayton and Duplicity) and Alan Silvestri (The Polar Express and Forrest Gump).
AWARDS CHANCES
As signaled by its prime December release slot, Searchlight has high hopes for Behemoth! The Academy typically goes gaga for “a love letter to the movies and the people who make it” (as the film was described to The Hollywood Reporter) and this drama centers directly on the art of film scoring and movie-making. Gilroy, who just wrapped an Emmy-nominated run helming Andor on Disney+, is a widely admired filmmaker who previously secured dual Oscar nominations (Best Director and Best Original Screenplay) for Michael Clayton. Pascal is already attracting buzz for his performance, and the film’s score is certain to be shortlisted based on name value alone.
