Pedro Pascal Puts His Hardest-Learned Skill on Display in ‘Behemoth!’ Trailer

Pedro Pascal is taking on his first solo lead role in a movie in Tony Gilroy‘s new drama, Behemoth!. On July 14, 2026, Searchlight Pictures dropped the first trailer for the movie, and it puts the actor in a role unlike anything he has done before.

In the movie, Pascal plays Alex Serian, a gifted cellist and former child prodigy who returns to Los Angeles after roughly twenty years on the road. From the trailer, it is clear that the movie leans heavily on music and mood. It shows Pascal playing the cello, deep in concentration, among a room of string players.

It is a more personal kind of movie for him, closer to the vibes of awards-season dramas like Tár than to his big franchise work. Behemoth! marks Gilroy’s first feature film in fourteen years, and Searchlight clearly has high hopes, handing it a prime December 4 release date.

One important aspect of Pascal’s role is that he does much of his own cello playing on screen. He had to acquire the playing skills for the movie, which wasn’t an easy task.

Pedro Pascal Described Learning Cello As the Hardest Thing He Ever Did

Pedro Pascal has picked up plenty of tough physical skills over the years. On Game of Thrones, he trained for fights and learned to handle a sword. Similarly, in Gladiator II, he threw himself into combat inside the arena. But according to the Fantastic Four actor, none of that compares to mastering the cello for Behemoth!.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, he compared learning stunt work to playing the cello, adding that the latter was “10 times harder than any of those things because of the f**king cello.” He put it bluntly:

The work was relentless. Pascal spent each day after shooting in lessons, slowly getting comfortable with an instrument his character had supposedly played his whole life. Even the basics were a challenge. However, the actor relied on some childhood piano lessons and his love for the soundtracks of Footloose and Flashdance to help him connect with the music. The result is a performance where he looks every bit the trained cellist he plays.

What Do We Know About Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth!?

Pedro Pascal as Alex in Behemoth! | Credits: Searchlight Pictures

Behemoth! is a passion project for Tony Gilroy, the filmmaker behind Michael Clayton and the acclaimed Star Wars series Andor. It is his first feature as director in fourteen years, and he also wrote the script. Interestingly, Pascal stepped in to lead the film after Oscar Isaac exited the role.

The movie surrounds Pascal with a strong ensemble. Eva Victor plays Nadia, his love interest and a fellow cellist, while Olivia Wilde appears as an ex-girlfriend, Will Arnett as his brother, and Hank Azaria as his father. Arnett actually reshot scenes that were originally filmed with David Harbour, who left the project.

One of the film’s boldest ideas is its music. Nine well-known composers, including Michael Giacchino, James Newton Howard, and Alan Silvestri, wrote the scores for the fictional movies Alex works on. The film is positioned as a serious awards-season contender.

What do you think of Pascal’s efforts for the new movie? Let us know in the comments below!

Behemoth! opens in theaters on December 4, 2026,