Any John Carney fans here? He’s of course the writer-director behind “Once” and “Sing Street,” so you know exactly what you’re getting when you watch one of his films. Carney specializes in musical dramas, often weaving working-class life and struggles into nearly every story he tells.
Carney’s next film is titled “Power Ballad” — Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas star in it. The film, which now has a trailer, is dated for June 5, 2026 release by Lionsgate. It world premiered at the Dublin International Film Festival on March 1 — no reviews came out of the screening — and will be screening at SXSW next week.
Co-written by Carney and Peter McDonald, the film follows Rick (Rudd), a washed-up wedding singer who befriends fading boy-band star Danny (Jonas) after a gig. When Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into a career-reviving hit, Rick sets out to reclaim the credit he thinks he deserves—risking everything in the process. It’s billed as a feel-good story about music, friendship, ambition, and self-respect.
Yeah, that sounds about right for a John Carney movie. His last effort, “Flora and Son,” was not bad — a quintessential example of his style. Carney has a knack for portraying down-on-their-luck characters who find healing, purpose, or redemption through musical collaboration. There’s a grounded realism to his work that balances out the occasional sap and, sometimes, that formula just works. Hopefully, it does here again.