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Power Ballad arrives in UK and Irish cinemas on 29 May 2026, directed by John Carney and written with Peter McDonald.
At the centre of the story is Rick, played by Paul Rudd, a wedding singer who feels past his prime. During a gig, he meets Danny, a fading boy band star portrayed by Nick Jonas. The two connect over music, sharing a late night jam session that brings them together.
That moment sets things in motion when Danny takes one of Rick’s songs and turns it into a hit, reigniting his own career. Rick then sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves, even if it means risking everything he cares about.
The cast also includes Marcella Plunkett, Havana Rose Liu, and Jack Reynor. The film is produced by Anthony Bregman, John Carney, Peter Cron, Rebecca O’Flanagan, and Robert Walpole.
Power Ballad is described as a feelgood story about music, self respect, friendship, and the price of ambition, presented by Lionsgate in association with 30WEST and Fís Éireann Screen Ireland, and produced by Likely Story and Distressed Films in association with Treasure Entertainment.
Lionsgate UK has released the first trailer and artwork for Power Ballad, a new music-driven comedy drama from writer and director John Carney. The film arrives in UK and Irish cinemas on 29 May 2026, bringing together an unusual pairing of performers in a story about ambition, friendship, and the complicated business of creative credit.
Paul Rudd leads the film as Rick, a once popular wedding singer who now finds himself well past his moment in the spotlight. His routine life on the gig circuit takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Danny, played by Nick Jonas, a former boy band star whose own career has begun to fade. A shared love of music sparks an easy connection between the two men during a late night jam session, the kind of casual collaboration that feels more like therapy than work.
Things begin to unravel when Danny turns one of Rick's songs into a breakout hit that launches his own comeback. The success that follows brings Danny back into the public eye, but it also leaves Rick watching from the sidelines as his music gains attention without the recognition he feels he deserves. Faced with the uncomfortable gap between authorship and fame, Rick decides to chase the credit that has slipped through his fingers, even if doing so threatens the relationships and stability he still has.
The film comes from John Carney, whose previous work includes Sing Street and Once, two projects known for weaving music naturally into their storytelling. Power Ballad appears to follow that same tradition, using performance and songwriting not simply as background decoration but as the emotional core of the story.
Alongside Rudd and Jonas, the cast includes Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Havana Rose Liu, and Jack Reynor. Carney co wrote the screenplay with Peter McDonald, and the production team brings together Anthony Bregman, John Carney, Peter Cron, Rebecca O'Flanagan, and Robert Walpole.
Power Ballad is presented by Lionsgate in association with 30WEST and Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland. The film is a Likely Story and Distressed Films production, created in association with Treasure Entertainment.
Running for 98 minutes and carrying a 15 certificate in the UK and a 15A in Ireland, Power Ballad promises a warm but slightly bittersweet look at the fragile line between artistic passion and personal pride when it arrives in cinemas on 29 May 2026.
Death of a Unicorn is a rare beast in modern cinema, an original story that balances absurdity, satire and myth in a way that is both risky and engaging. Written and directed by Alex Scharfman in his debut, the film leans into genre chaos with a premise that sounds laughable on paper but unfolds with surprising narrative discipline and emotional weight.
The story follows Elliot Kintner (Paul Rudd) and his daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega) as they visit the remote estate of Elliot's boss. On the way, they hit what turns out to be a unicorn. The event spirals into something much stranger, as the unicorn's mystical properties trigger greed, violence and ultimately a surreal reckoning with nature itself. The plot escalates as Elliot and Ridley become entangled with a privileged family eager to exploit the creature, leading to a violent clash with two fearsome parent unicorns.
Performances are a consistent strength. Paul Rudd plays Elliot with a grounded charm, managing to remain believable even when surrounded by talking tapestries, glowing horns and unicorn-based resurrection. Jenna Ortega proves once again that she can elevate any role, portraying Ridley with a mix of teenage scepticism and magical wonder. The supporting cast also delivers, Richard E. Grant is perfectly sinister as Odell Leopold, and Will Poulter plays his morally warped son with unsettling energy. Téa Leoni adds cold sharpness as the calculating Belinda Leopold, while Stephen Park and Sunita Mani add quiet menace in their roles as opportunistic scientists.
The tone shifts frequently, but not always successfully. At its best, the film taps into fairytale horror with scenes of cosmic beauty and brutality. There is a particularly effective motif where the unicorn parents shift colour depending on their emotions, from shimmering white to inky black. These details, alongside Ridley's psychedelic visions and the eerie, painterly atmosphere of the Leopold estate, create a strange blend of children's fantasy and adult horror.
However, the film does suffer from tonal confusion. It swings between whimsical moral tale and gory class satire without fully committing to either. One moment unicorn blood is healing cancer, the next it is disembowelling a member of the elite. The abrupt genre changes can feel jarring and may alienate viewers expecting a more focused experience.
Visually, the film is ambitious but limited by budget. Some of the CGI involving the unicorns, especially in high-motion scenes, is noticeably unpolished. Practical effects and close-ups work better, but the digital elements break immersion in places. Still, the design choices are bold, and the mythological world hinted at in visions and narration adds unexpected depth.
The film's greatest strength lies in its originality. It is refreshing to see something this odd and specific in mainstream cinema. Death of a Unicorn draws on real folklore, referencing medieval unicorn symbolism, purity myths and alchemical ideas. These aren't just surface-level nods either. The film engages with them, particularly through Ridley, who sees the unicorn as something sacred, not a tool for gain.
While imperfect, the film sticks in the mind. Its final scenes mix absurdity, tragedy and redemption in a way that, despite tonal whiplash, somehow works. It may not please everyone, but it is likely to become a cult favourite. The mix of earnestness, violence and myth gives it a strange, memorable identity.
Death of a Unicorn is messy, ambitious and unlike anything else released this year. It does not fully succeed in blending all of its parts, but it is never dull. Scharfman's debut is bold, strange and occasionally brilliant, helped along by committed performances and flashes of visual inspiration.
