Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of Once, the Irish musical romance that became a Cinderella story at the Oscars, winning Best Original Song with “Falling Slowly.” Since then, that film’s writer-director, John Carney, has put out a steady stream of charming music-forward films, including the fantastic Sing Street.
This year, Carney is back with another music-centric film set across the pond, this one starring two Americans, Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, as two musicians at very different levels of name and the song that comes between them.
Power Ballad won over audiences as South by Southwest earlier this year and is set for release in May. Here’s everything you need to know about the film.
The Trailer
The Cast
Duo Rudd and Jonas top-line the feature, but they’re backed by past Carney collaborator Jack Reynor and Havana Rose Liu.
The Story
The film follows the titular Rick Power (Rudd), a wedding singer who has a chance encounter with the pop star played by Jonas, Danny Wilson. After the two get to jamming, Power shares a song of his that Wilson goes onto make into a major hit — without crediting the writer.
The Creative Team
Carney, who co-wrote the script with Oscar nominee Peter McDonald, is coming off of his most recent feature, 2023’s Flora and Son, which starred Eve Hewson, Reynor, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The Release Date
Power Ballad opens in theaters on May 29.
The Awards Chances
While none of Carney’s films since Once have landed an Oscar nomination (the snubbing of Sing Street will never be forgotten), Power Ballad’s original songs could be a path back to the Academy Awards for the filmmaker. Also keep an eye out for Best Picture — Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes.