Behemoth, the upcoming film from writer/director Tony Gilroy and starring Pedro Pascal, is set to have its world premiere at the 2026 New York Film Festival. The film will premiere as the festival’s Centerpiece Selection on October 2 at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center. Tony Gilroy, Pedro Pascal, and several actors in the film’s ensemble cast will attend the premiere. The festival itself runs from September 25 to October 12.

Behemoth is Gilroy’s first feature film since working on the Emmy-winning Star Wars series, Andor. It follows Pascal as Alex, a former child prodigy cellist who leaves his work at a Chicago orchestra to begin composing music in Hollywood. In doing so, Alex must reconcile the rocky relationships of his past, such as with his brother (Will Arnett) and ex-girlfriend (Olivia Wilde).

In addition to Pascal, Arnett, and Wilde, other cast members include Eva Victor, Hank Azaria, Alexa Swinton, Erik Griffin, JoBeth Williams, and Margarita Levieva.

In the following statement, Gilroy discussed his personal relationship with the New York Film Festival:

“I have been orbiting NYFF for the great majority of my life,” the writer-director 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. NYFF has always been the benchmark for me; the opportunity to premiere a film I cannot wait to show, in that hall, to that audience, feels every bit as thrilling as I’d imagined. I’m honored.”

Dennis Lim, the NYFF artistic director, also provided the following statement praising Behemoth:

“We are delighted to present the world premiere of Tony Gilroy’s anticipated return to the big screen as this year’s NYFF centerpiece. 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.”

Behemoth will be officially released by Searchlight Pictures on December 4.