Two-time Academy Award winner Adrien Brody and Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler are set to lead the upcoming father-daughter drama Last Dance from acclaimed Brazilian filmmaker Karim Aïnouz.
Based on Emily Ziff Griffin’s poignant 2021 New Yorker article, “The Last Dance with My Dad,” the film marks Adrien Brody’s first major project since securing his second Best Actor Oscar for The Brutalist. Set in 1991, the narrative follows Elliot (Adrien Brody), a celebrated Broadway composer who invites his daughter Emma (Zegler) on a Caribbean cruise specifically for the queer community. As the only straight woman on board, Emma navigates a vibrant world of liberation and experiences her first love, all while the escalating AIDS crisis casts a profound shadow over their journey.
The production is bolstered by a powerhouse musical team, with Tony, Emmy, and Grammy winner Ben Platt co-starring and composing original music for the film, which Zegler will perform following her acclaimed turn in Evita. Produced by Fifth Season and Lynette Howell Taylor’s 51 Entertainment, Last Dance is positioned as a “fable of hope” by Aïnouz, who aims to highlight the resilience, joy, and solidarity of the queer community during one of the last century’s most devastating crises.
FilmNation Entertainment is set to launch international sales for the project at the upcoming Cannes market, presenting it as a universal story of reconciliation and a vivid recreation of New York and the Caribbean in the early nineties.
