Copyright holder / Distributor: Searchlight Pictures
Behemoth! is a 2026 American drama film directed and written by Tony Gilroy. It is set to be released in the United States on December 4, 2026.
Alex Serian is a talented cellist who returns to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road. Once a child prodigy and part of a famous musical family, he leaves the orchestra in Chicago and begins working as a studio musician while trying to deal with unresolved issues from his past. His return reunites him with loved ones and old love affairs, and memories of different periods of his life gradually intertwine with the present. Music becomes a kind of path to rethinking the choices, losses and relationships that Alex has left behind.
Tony Gilroy builds the story through a non-linear structure that transitions between different moments in the protagonist's life. The director uses the music itself as part of the dramaturgy, with the film's score being created by a collective of nine composers. This is a particularly curious approach for Gilroy, known as the director of Michael Clayton and The Bourne Legacy, as well as the creator of the series Andor. Instead of relying on a traditional musician narrative, it places the emphasis on memory, creativity, and the difficult return to the life one has left behind.
Pedro Pascal is at the center of the story as Alex and builds a character whose inner distance gradually begins to crack. Olivia Wilde and Eva Victor are among his most important partners in history, and Will Arnett, Alexa Swinton, Kaya Rawls, Eric Griffin, JoBeth Williams, Margarita Levieva and Hank Azaria Pascal has been preparing specifically for the role and has studied the cello in order to convincingly recreate the musical side of the character.
Behemoth! is more of an intimate story about a man trying to put his life in order than a traditional musical drama. The connection between music, memories, and personal relationships turns Alex's journey into an attempt to find some form of redemption and a new beginning. The film uses an unusual structure and a strong presence of music to tell a story about creativity and the cost of the choices one makes over the years. For viewers who prefer a more contemplative movies with an emphasis on characters, music and atmosphere, Behemoth! offers a project quite different from Gilroy's more familiar productions.
