Behemoth!
Tony Gilroy, who usually dabbles in more action-oriented fare, turns his attention to more of a character study with his upcoming film Behemoth! Pedro Pascal plays a gifted cellist who returns home and goes on a life-changing journey. At surface level, it’s a trope that is usually done for a coming-of-age story (no matter what age) where a person finds out more about themselves as they wander through the complications of life. However, the directing and the scenes shown in the trailer make this look like something different and even a critic’s quote calls it “Strikingly Original!”
Searchlight Pictures has just released a new trailer for Behemoth! Pascal is joined in the cast by an ensemble that includes Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Alexa Swinton, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, Jobeth Williams, Margarita Levieva, with Hank Azaria and Will Arnett.
The official synopsis reads, “A gifted cellist returns home to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road. Music, which has been the constant, all-consuming river of his life, swells into an adventure that will change him forever.”
Tony Gilroy writes and directs, as well as produces the film along with Sanne Wohlenberg and John Gilroy. The music is done by The Behemoth! Collective.
Gilroy and Pascal connect
Unsurprisingly, Pascal and Gilroy connected within an hour of meeting. It quickly became clear to Gilroy that Pascal was the right actor for the job, and a mutual respect had rapidly taken form. “He’s just really, really smart about how to be a movie star. And—more than anything—eager to enter into a completely honest, no-holds-barred conversation,” Gilroy told Vanity Fair about Pascal. “There’s so much artifice and sometimes monkey business that goes on. To find actors you can talk to directly, you can make them a co-conspirator from the very beginning.”
Pasal on the challenges of playing Alex for Behemoth!
While talking about his training for the film, Pascal told VF that learning to play the cello like a pro is one of the hardest things ever. “Holding a bow correctly alone takes a day’s lesson, and that’s moving fast,” Pascal told the outlet. Despite handling weapons in projects like Gladiator II and The Last of Us, Pascal says learning the instrument “was 10 times harder than any of those things because of the fucking cello,” playing at being disgusted but not-so-secretly loving it at the same time. “Literally the hardest, hardest, hardest thing I’ve ever had to learn to do. Being in a gladiator arena or hanging from a harness—all that stuff pales in comparison to making it look convincing as you’re playing Tchaikovsky.”
The film’s final roster of composers includes: Michael Abels, Emily Bear, Lukas Frank, Michael Giacchino, James Newton Howard, Henry Jackman, Nami Melumad, Brandon Roberts, and Alan Silvestri. The talent in Behemoth! is immense, with each musician bringing something special to the production.
Behemoth opens in theaters on December 4.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed