A24 has found its 2025 Oscars contender in The Brutalist, Brady Corbet’s upcoming American epic.
In the first trailer for The Brutalist, Adrien Brody stars as László Toth, a Hungarian Jewish Holocaust survivor and architect who emigrates to America to create a better life with his wife, Erzsébet (Felicity Jones). Upon settling in Pennsylvania, László meets Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce), a powerful businessman who hires him to design a community center. The film spans 30 years of László’s life, chronicling his unstable relationship with Erzsébet and his pursuit of the American dream.
The Brutalist cast includes Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach De Bankolé, and Alessandro Nivola.
Corbet directs The Brutalist on a script he co-wrote with Mona Fastvold. This is the third feature film collaboration between Corbet and Fastvold, who previously worked together on 2015’s The Childhood of a Leader and 2018’s Vox Lux.
The Brutalist premiered at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival to widespread acclaim, with Corbet winning the Silver Lion for best direction. The Brutalist has a 215-minute runtime, which includes a 15-minute intermission. Corbet’s anticipated drama was made for under $10 million.
The Brutalist will be campaigning heavily for the 2025 Oscars. Notable categories where The Brutalist is expected to compete: Best Picture, Best Director (Corbet), Best Actor (Brody), Best Supporting Actor (Pearce), and Best Original Screenplay (Corbet and Fastvold). If Brody receives a Best Actor nomination, it will be his first since winning in this category for 2002’s The Pianist. Brody made history by becoming the category’s youngest winner at age 29.
The Brutalist opens in theaters on December 20, 2024.
