Another domino has dropped when it comes to the fall festival season: Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth!” will have its world premiere as the centerpiece selection of the 2026 New York Film Festival.
NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim wrote in a statement, “We are delighted to present the world premiere of Tony Gilroy’s anticipated return to the big screen as this year’s NYFF centerpiece. There is so much to savor in this immaculately crafted film, from its creative use of music to its note-perfect ensemble cast. 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.”
“Michael Clayton” writer-director Gilroy, who has not directed a feature film since 2012’s “The Bourne Legacy,” has made an ode to movie music, with a central performance from Pedro Pascal, who replaced Oscar Isaac at the last minute to make this project happen.
The film’s score has nine composers credited: Michael Abels, Emily Bear, Lukas Frank, Michael Giacchino, James Newton Howard, Henry Jackman, Nami Melumad, Brandon Roberts, and Alan Silvestri.
“Behemoth!” is an extremely talky, low-plot character drama about Alex, a gifted but emotionally detached cellist whose carefully controlled life is disrupted by the death of his longtime lover, Nadia, and a late-career opportunity to compose a film score. More a study of narcissism, aging, memory, and artistic emptiness than a traditional narrative, the film unfolds through extended conversations and intimate character moments. Its most distinctive feature is its structure, which shifts between the orchestra and Alex’s personal life, turning the score into an active storytelling device that suggests he is both observing and composing the defining moments of his own existence.
The “centerpiece” selection at NYFF has been hit and miss this decade, with titles such as Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland,” Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door,” and Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother.”
As for the release date, Searchlight Pictures has dated “Behemoth!” for release on December 4. That’s quite the risk — to premiere the film two months before release — but the studio must be quite confident in what they have here.
The 64th New York Film Festival will open with the North American premiere of James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” and close with the world premiere of Ava DuVernay’s “14th.” The festival is set to run from September 25-October 12.
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