Olivia Wilde has signed on to star alongside Pedro Pascal in the upcoming film “Behemoth!,” directed and penned by Tony Gilroy. Searchlight recently joined the project, which also features David Harbour and Eva Victor in key roles.
Pascal’s role in “Behemoth!” is that of a cellist who moves back to Los Angeles and decides to make music for movies. The film explores why he came back and why he went away, delivered in a nonlinear, music-driven structure. The whole movie is told through music cues, which trigger flashbacks spanning the last 20 years.
Production is scheduled to begin this week on the film, which could be released as early as fall 2026. Gilroy had been shopping the project to studios for over a year and expressed his frustration in May. Just a few weeks later, Searchlight acquired it.
Meanwhile, Wilde just wrapped shooting her next directorial effort, “The Invite.” Ever since the chaos of “Don’t Worry Darling,” released in 2022, and panned by critics, Wilde hasn’t appeared in front or behind the camera. Her role in “Behemoth” can be seen as a comeback, of sorts. She also has Greg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex” coming in 2026.
Do I really need to recap the behind the scenes drama that occurred on Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling”? It’s now the stuff of Hollywood legend. It’s been rumored that Wilde was not the sole director on that film — here's looking at you, Florence Pugh and Matthew Libatique.
Wilde's on-set presence on that film was, shall we say, sporadic, with Florence Pugh reportedly stepping in to direct scenes when Wilde and Harry Styles were MIA. Pugh's subsequent silence and refusal to promote the film only fueled speculation about the behind-the-scenes turmoil.
It should be mentioned, Gilroy kicked off his directing career with one of the best debuts of the 21st century, “Michael Clayton” (2007). “Behemoth!” also comes four years after Gilroy attained massive commercial and critical success on the Disney+ Star Wars series “Andor.”