Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth!” will make its world premiere at the 64th New York Film Festival as the Centerpiece selection, debuting Oct. 2, 2026. Film at Lincoln Center made the announcement on Tuesday, also confirming that Gilroy, star Pedro Pascal and other cast members will be in attendance.
Written and directed by Gilroy, “Behemoth!” stars Pascal as Alex, a cellist who leaves an orchestra in Chicago to move west and record Hollywood film scores. The drama unfolds in a non-linear timeline, flashing back to Alex’s past as a child prodigy growing up in an established musical family. Described as a “thundering, savvy tribute to the power of music that builds to an emotional wallop of a climax,” the Searchlight Pictures release co-stars Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Alexa Swinton, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, JoBeth Williams, Margarita Levieva, Hank Azaria and Will Arnett.
“I have been orbiting NYFF for the great majority of my life,” Gilroy said in a statement. “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.”
In a statement of his own, NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim said, “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.”
Gilroy is a two-time Oscar nominee for writing and directing his feature directorial debut, 2007’s “Michael Clayton.” He also wrote the first three Jason Bourne films (and directed “The Bourne Legacy”) and co-wrote “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which led to “Andor,” the “Star Wars” series he created. The Disney+ series ran for two seasons and earned 22 Emmy nominations and two Peabody Awards.
As previously announced, James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” will open the 64th New York Film Festival, which takes place Sept. 25 – Oct. 12. Ava DuVernay’s new documentary, “14th,” will also make its world premiere there as the closing night film on Oct. 9.
