Rachel Zegler and a two-time Oscar winner are teaming up for a new musical film set against one of history’s most devastating health crises. The project reunites the West Side Story breakout star with her musical roots while pairing her with an unlikely leading man. A Tony-winning performer also rounds out the cast in a dual creative role that extends beyond acting.
Rachel Zegler and Adrien Brody to headline new musical from Karim Aïnouz
Two-time Oscar winner Adrien Brody and Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler will lead Karim Aïnouz’s Last Dance, Deadline reports. Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner Ben Platt will co-star and write original music for the film. Zegler will also sing original music following her Olivier-winning turn in Evita on London’s West End.
Emily Ziff Griffin penned the screenplay, drawing from her 2021 autobiographical New Yorker article “The Last Dance with My Dad.” Notably, the role marks Brody’s first known film project since taking home his second Best Actor Oscar for The Brutalist. Meanwhile, Aïnouz, a Brazilian filmmaker and Cannes regular, previously directed Firebrand.
As for the plot, the story follows celebrated Broadway composer Elliot, played by Brody, as he takes his daughter Emma on a gay cruise through the Caribbean in 1991. Zegler plays Emma, the only straight woman aboard, who experiences an unexpected first love with a young crew member. However, the AIDS crisis looms as Elliot confronts the reality of his illness, forcing both to face unspoken truths.
On the production side, Fifth Season and Oscar-nominated producer Lynette Howell Taylor’s 51 Entertainment are producing the project. Additionally, FilmNation Entertainment will launch international sales at the upcoming Cannes market. Fifth Season and CAA Media Finance Group are handling domestic rights.
“I am thrilled to bring to the screen such a unique and moving portrait of a time where hope and celebration allowed our queer community to overcome one of the worst crises of last century,” Aïnouz said. He described Last Dance as “a universal and urgent tale where joy is taken up as resilience.”
FilmNation CEO Glen Basner praised Griffin’s screenplay as “powerful in both its crystal-clear specificity, and in its relatability to all children.” He noted the film “vividly recreates New York in the nineties” while presenting a deeply moving father-daughter story.
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