Behemoth! is a 2026 American drama film written and directed by Tony Gilroy. It stars Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, and Will Arnett.
The film premiered at the 64th New York Film Festival on October 2, 2026, and received positive reviews from critics for Pascal's performance, Gilroy's direction, and the musical score but received criticism for its writing and structure. It is scheduled to be released in the United States by Searchlight Pictures on December 4, 2026.
Contents
Cast
Pedro Pascal as Alex Serian, a renowned, prolific cellist returning to Los Angeles to compose film scores
Olivia Wilde as Carol Spedding, Alex's ex-girlfriend
Eva Victor as Nadia, Alex's colleague and new love interest
Will Arnett as Andy Serian, Alex's brother
Hank Azaria as Peter Serian, Alex's father
Alexa Swinton as Viviana
Kaya Ralls as Bronte
Erik Griffin
JoBeth Williams
Margarita Levieva
Matthew Lillard as Dennis Glenn
Barry Livingston
Adam Rose
Production
It was announced in March 2025 that Tony Gilroy was to write and direct the film, with Oscar Isaac attached to star. However, Isaac had exited the project by August, with Pedro Pascal in negotiations to replace him. Searchlight Pictures acquired the project. Pascal was confirmed in October, alongside David Harbour, Eva Victor and Olivia Wilde joining the cast, with principal photography beginning on October 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, and wrapping on January 23, 2026. Damián García was confirmed to be the film's cinematographer that same day. In November, it was announced that Matthew Lillard, Alexa Swinton, and Margarita Levieva would join the cast. In January 2026, Harbour exited the film to rest due to being overwhelmed by the final season of Stranger Things, with Will Arnett cast to take his place. Erik Griffin and Adam Rose later joined the cast.
Music
Gilroy worked with nine different composers who contributed to the score. In January 2026, it was reported that James Newton Howard and Alan Silvestri were scoring the film. Howard had previously scored Gilroy's previous directorial efforts; Michael Clayton (2007), Duplicity (2009), and The Bourne Legacy (2012). In February, Gilroy stated in an interview that Brandon Roberts, who had previously worked with Gilroy on the second season of Andor, would also contribute to the film's soundtrack. Howard, Silvestri and Roberts are three of nine musicians working on the score. Michael Abels, Emily Bear, Lukas Frank, Michael Giacchino, Henry Jackman, and Nami Melumad would be revealed as the other six composers in July.
Release
Behemoth! had its world premiere on October 2, 2026, as the Centerpiece selection of the 64th New York Film Festival. It is scheduled to screen at the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival, and the 15th Montclair Film Festival as the closing film on October 25, and in the Gala section of the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival on October 28, 2026.
It is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 4, 2026.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 20 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
TheWrap's Zachary Lee declared the film "a love letter not just to film music, but to the complicated and passionate musicians who bring it to life". David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a 'B+' rating, pointing out that it is a "much slippier and more elegant thing than the scale implied by its title." David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter found the film to be an "odd duck, alternately intriguing and frustrating", as well as "adagio when it needs to be agitato."
Nikki Baughan of ScreenDaily commended Pascal's "terrific performance as a tortured creative soul", but lamented how "the narrative often succumbs to cliché and proves too fragmented to make a lasting emotional impact." Owen Myers of The Guardian rated the film 2 out of 5 stars, assessing that the film "doesn't have the juice" to pull off a plot-free character study.