Behemoth NYFF premiere set as Pedro Pascal drama takes Centerpiece slot
Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth! starring Pedro Pascal will debut at NYFF on Oct. 2 before Searchlight’s Dec. 4 theatrical release.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The Behemoth NYFF premiere now has pride of place at the New York Film Festival: Tony Gilroy’s Searchlight Pictures drama starring Pedro Pascal has been named the Centerpiece selection for the festival’s 64th edition.
The festival announced that Behemoth! will have its world premiere on Friday, Oct. 2, putting Pascal front and center in one of the event’s highest-profile slots. Searchlight has dated the film for a theatrical release on Dec. 4.
When does Behemoth premiere at NYFF?
Behemoth! is scheduled to screen at the New York Film Festival on Friday, Oct. 2. The festival itself runs from Sept. 25 through Oct. 12.
Pascal plays Alex, a cellist trying to rebuild after his life has come apart, according to the festival announcement. The character is a former child prodigy from a celebrated musical family who has left an orchestra job in Chicago, escaped a strained relationship with a volatile ex played by Olivia Wilde, and returned to Los Angeles to deal with family matters and record music for Hollywood films.
Music is baked into the movie’s setup. According to the announcement, the drama uses original film compositions and features a soundtrack with leading industry musicians.
The cast also includes Eva Victor, Alexa Swinton, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, JoBeth Williams and Margarita Levieva, with Hank Azaria and Will Arnett also appearing.
Gilroy, in a statement released with the announcement, said the festival has been part of his moviegoing life for decades. He recalled attending a screening of Fitzcarraldo after receiving a single ticket as a tip while he was tending bar nearby.
“The Centerpiece invitation is a fantasy I’ve conjured more times than I care to admit,” Gilroy said. “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. I’m honored.”
NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim praised the film’s craft, its use of music and its ensemble. He singled out Pascal’s lead turn, calling it “one of the performances of the year” in the festival’s announcement.
Gilroy made his feature directing debut with Michael Clayton, which earned Oscar nominations. He later wrote and directed Duplicity and The Bourne Legacy.
His writing credits include the first three Bourne films, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Beirut, State of Play, Armageddon, The Devil’s Advocate, Dolores Claiborne, Proof of Life, Extreme Measures and The Cutting Edge. He also created Lucasfilm’s Emmy-nominated series Andor. According to the announcement, Rogue One grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.
Behemoth! joins a NYFF lineup with James Gray’s crime thriller Paper Tiger as the opening-night film and Ava DuVernay’s documentary 14th set as the closing-night world premiere.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.