Neon Sets Nov. 25 Release for Hamaguchi's 'All of a Sudden'
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Neon set a Nov. 25 theatrical release date for Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 'All of a Sudden' and is mounting an awards campaign around the film
- 'All of a Sudden' premiered in competition at Cannes earlier this year, where Virginie Efira and Okamoto Tao shared the best actress prize
- Virginie Efira will separately receive the Leopard Club Award at this year's Locarno Film Festival for her body of work in cinema
- The French-Japanese drama follows Marie-Lou (Efira), an elderly care facility director who bonds with Mari (Okamoto), a Japanese theater director facing a cancer diagnosis; the screenplay by Hamaguchi and Léa Le Dimna loosely adapts 'When Life Suddenly Takes a Turn' by Miyano Makiko and Isono Maho
- Hamaguchi previously won the Academy Award for best international feature with 'Drive My Car,' which was also the first Japanese film nominated for best picture, director, and adapted screenplay at the Oscars
- Neon has won the Cannes Palme d'Or seven consecutive years, accumulated 57 Academy Award nominations across nine years, and grossed over $500 million at the box office
Why it matters: The Nov. 25 date positions 'All of a Sudden' as a late-season awards play for Neon, which already won best international feature this year with 'Sentimental Value' and earned 18 Oscar nominations — giving Hamaguchi's Cannes-recognized drama a clear runway into the 2026 race.
