Searchlight Pictures has released the full official trailer for Behemoth!, the long-awaited music drama from Andor creator Tony Gilroy, and it confirms what early festival buzz had suggested: this is a film built around the sound of a life, not just the story of one. The movie stars Pedro Pascal as Alex Serian, a gifted cellist who returns to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road, and it arrives in theaters on December 4, 2026.
The trailer, released on October 28, 2026, opens on a note of mystery. Alex is asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement for a project he does not yet understand. “What’s this supposed to be?” he asks. “It’s a booster,” comes the reply. When he presses further — “What the hell is Behemoth?” — he is told only that it is a code name. From there, the footage widens into a portrait of a man coming home: to the film-scoring studios of Los Angeles, to a brother he has drifted from, to a father he has unfinished business with, and to an old love he never quite left behind.
What Is Behemoth! About?
At its center, Behemoth! is the story of a musician reckoning with the life music gave him — and the life it cost him. Alex Serian has spent two decades touring the world as a cellist. Music, in the film’s official description, has been “the constant, all-consuming river of his life.” Returning to Los Angeles, he begins working in Hollywood’s film-scoring community, where the scores he helps create become a way of working through his own past. The story spans roughly 25 years of Alex’s life, with music acting as the connective tissue between its different chapters.
That structure gives the film its emotional engine. This is not a biopic of a famous composer, nor a backstage musical. It is a drama about inheritance: what a family of musicians passes down, what a son keeps, and what he has to let go of.
The Cast of Behemoth!
Pedro Pascal leads the film as Alex Serian, in a role that trades the genre armor of his recent blockbusters for something far quieter and more exposed. Around him, Searchlight has assembled a sharp ensemble:
- Olivia Wilde as Carol Spedding, Alex’s ex-girlfriend, who challenges him to confront what he feels rather than what he plays
- Eva Victor as Nadia Hynes, a fellow musician who becomes a new presence — and possibly a new love — in Alex’s life
- Will Arnett as Andy Serian, Alex’s brother
- Hank Azaria as Peter Serian, Alex’s father, with whom his relationship remains tense
- Alexa Swinton, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, JoBeth Williams and Margarita Levieva in supporting roles
The trailer gives each of these relationships room to breathe: Wilde’s Carol tells Alex, “You’re afraid of what you feel,” while Arnett’s Andy greets his brother with the pointed question of why he has come back after two decades away.
Nine Composers, One Film About Film Music
Perhaps the boldest creative choice in Behemoth! is its score — or rather, its scores. Gilroy recruited nine composers to write the fictional film music heard throughout the movie, each creating original work for a different movie-within-the-movie. The lineup reads like a hall of fame of modern screen music:
- Michael Giacchino (Up, The Incredibles)
- James Newton Howard (The Hunger Games)
- Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, Avengers)
- Henry Jackman (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
- Michael Abels (Get Out)
- Emily Bear, Lukas Frank, Nami Melumad and Brandon Roberts
Roberts, notably, scored the second season of Andor.
Why Behemoth! Matters This Awards Season
The film made its world premiere earlier in October 2026 as the Centerpiece selection of the 64th New York Film Festival, where early reactions were warm, with some critics describing it as a “triumphant odyssey.” It is Gilroy’s first feature as a director since The Bourne Legacy in 2012, following his acclaimed run as creator and showrunner of Andor. A December 4 theatrical release places it squarely in awards-season territory, and Pascal’s central performance is already being discussed as a potential first Academy Award nomination for the actor.
What Happens Next
With the full trailer now out, expect Searchlight to ramp up its campaign through November: more clips, featurettes on the nine-composer score, and interviews with Gilroy and Pascal. The question is whether a quiet, music-driven drama can cut through a December calendar crowded with franchise titles. On the evidence of the trailer — and the festival response so far — Behemoth! is betting that it can.
Behemoth! FAQs
When does Behemoth! come out?
Behemoth! opens in theaters in the United States on December 4, 2026, through Searchlight Pictures.
Who stars in Behemoth!?
Pedro Pascal stars as cellist Alex Serian, alongside Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Will Arnett and Hank Azaria.
Who directed Behemoth!?
Tony Gilroy wrote and directed the film. It is his first directorial feature since The Bourne Legacy (2012) and follows his acclaimed work as creator and showrunner of Andor.
Why does Behemoth! have nine composers?
Gilroy recruited nine composers to write original music for the different fictional films featured inside the story, reflecting the movie’s theme as a love letter to film music.
Is Behemoth! based on a true story?
No. Behemoth! is an original drama written by Tony Gilroy, though the director has said the project draws on his own early ambitions as a musician.