A film that was close to being shelved found a second chance after Pedro Pascal sat down for lunch with filmmaker Tony Gilroy. Following Oscar Isaac‘s exit from Behemoth! and mounting scheduling difficulties, Gilroy was preparing to call off the production altogether.
However, his three-hour meeting with Pascal turned what could have been a farewell conversation into the beginning of a new collaboration.
Pedro Pascal’s lunch with Tony Gilroy saves Behemoth! after Oscar Isaac’s exit
Isaac’s departure created a major setback for Behemoth! amid scheduling conflicts involving Frankenstein and awards commitments, as per Variety. Gilroy had already postponed the production as much as he could and was reluctant to delay it further.
So, when he and producer Sanne Wohlenberg headed to meet Pascal, he was rehearsing what he would tell the crew: “We tried really hard. We’re not doing this movie now. I’ll find us something else.”
But Pascal made a strong impression almost immediately. Just 10 minutes into their lunch, Gilroy found himself reconsidering the film’s future. “Oh my God, can he be this perfect?” he recalled thinking. “There must be something wrong with him.”
The conversation eventually stretched to three hours. Gilroy described it as “more of a prenup than a meeting,” as both sides openly discussed what they expected from the collaboration. They soon reached an understanding, and Pascal was ready to get started. “I’ll start tomorrow,” he told Gilroy. True to his word, he had a cello the very next day to begin preparing for the role.
In Behemoth!, Pascal portrays Alex Serian, a cellist who returns to Los Angeles after spending two decades on the road. The cast also includes Olivia Wilde, Will Arnett, Eva Victor, Alexa Swinton and Hank Azaria. The project marks Gilroy’s first feature film as a director since 2012’s The Bourne Legacy, following his work on Disney+’s Andor.
Gilroy also hopes audiences see Behemoth! as more than a film about classical music. He wants its central themes to focus on family and the “new varieties of loneliness” people experience in a fragmented world.
With Pascal’s casting keeping the project alive, Behemoth! is now set to reach theaters. Searchlight Pictures will release the film on December 4.
