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Move over Venice and Toronto, because the 64th New York Film Festival has just announced a major scoop of its own.
The Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall will be playing host to the world premiere of Tony Gilroy’s much-anticipated new musical drama, Behemoth!, as the festival’s Centerpiece pick on October 2.
Starring Pedro Pascal as a musician heading back to LA to reset his life and find new inspiration, Behemoth! already looks like a major awards season prospect.
Co-stars Olivia Wilde, currently having a moment of her own with relationship comedy The Invite, Will Arnett, Hank Azaria, and Sorry, Baby director-star Eva Victor, should add plenty more star power to the New York red carpet.
‘A gifted cellist, Alex Serian (Pascal), returns home to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road,’ runs the synopsis. ‘Music, which has been the constant, all-consuming river of his life, begins to carry Alex on an adventure that will change him forever.’
The man behind Andor and Oscar-winning thriller Michael Clayton, Gilroy has a sure touch with the kind of grown-up material the NYFF loves to champion. Expect big things from this one – and plenty more to follow when the festival announces its full line-up. Tickets and festival passes are on sale now.
‘I have been orbiting NYFF for the great majority of my life,’ says the writer-director. ‘I was baptized by Fitzcarraldo. I was tending bar across the street and a customer tipped me a single ticket. It was a bad seat to the most remarkable screening I’d ever attended. There were many memorable nights to follow. The Centerpiece invitation is a fantasy I’ve conjured more times than I care to admit. NYFF has always been the benchmark for me; the opportunity to premiere a film I cannot wait to show, in that hall, to that audience, feels every bit as thrilling as I’d imagined.’
‘There is so much to savor in this immaculately crafted film, from its creative use of music to its note-perfect ensemble cast,’ says Dennis Lim, NYFF Artistic Director. ‘Holding it all together is a tour de force by Pedro Pascal, one of the performances of the year from one of our true movie stars.’
Behemoth! screens at the festival on Friday, October 2, ahead of its December 4 theatrical release. Watch the movie’s trailer below.
When is New York Film Festival 2026?
This year’s New York Film Festival runs from September 25 through October 12. Head to the official website for all the info.