The Actor: Neon drops official trailer for the upcoming crime mystery adaptation

The Actor is a forthcoming film directed by Duke Johnson, and it's an adaptation of a 2010 novel titled Memory. Neon will be releasing the film on March 14, 2025. The film is written by Johnson and Stephen Cooney and is produced by Johnson, Paul Young, Ken Kao, and Abigail Spencer.

This is the first live-action film helmed by Johnson, who is known for his animation work. Here is the official synopsis of the film:

When New York actor Paul Cole is beaten and left for dead in 1950s Ohio, he loses his memory and finds himself stranded in a mysterious small town where he struggles to get back home and reclaim what he's lost.

The makers have dropped its official trailer.

The official trailer of The Actor is out

The official trailer of The Actor has a duration of two minutes and 19 seconds. It starts with Paul Cole opening his eyes and reciting his name. The video then jumps into his life as he tries to piece together everything related to an accident.

Set in Ohio in the 1950s, the trailer then showcases everyone asking him if he remembers the accident and if he is having memory problems. The trailer then transitions into a montage and ends with a series of shots highlighting the difficulties he is facing as an actor as he cannot remember the lines.

Who is in the cast of The Actor?

The Actor has André Holland playing the lead role of Paul Cole, an actor living in Ohio in the 1950s. He has lost his memory after someone beats him up, leaving him stranded.

Holland is mostly known for his role in the 2016 film Moonlight. He has also appeared in The Eddy, Selma, The Knick, and American Horror Story: Roanoke.

The Actor also has English actor Gemma Chan in a pivotal role. Other cast members are listed below:

Olwen Fouéré as Old Lady Track
Joe Cole as Nick
Tracey Ullman as Helen/Mrs. Malloy/Deerville Woman
Edward Hogg as Make-Up Artist
Thomas Dominique as Phil
Youssef Kerkour as Black Jack
May Calamawy
Toby Jones
Simon McBurney
Tanya Reynolds
Asim Chaudhry
Fabien Frankel

In 2024, during an interview with The Playlist, Holland was asked if the crime mystery film is surreal. He said,

"Sort of, though maybe I wouldn’t say surrealist. It’s just unusual, really unusual, but also theatrical in a really interesting way. I don’t know how much he’s said publicly because I don’t want to spoil it for folks, but I play a theater actor who gets into an accident and loses his memory. Throughout the movie, you see this guy trying to find his way home, and it’s just a beautiful meditation on identity, love, and belonging. I can’t wait for you to see it. I just heard a little something yesterday that makes me think it’s coming soon, so yeah, I can’t wait."

Holland also said that The Actor is unlike anything he has ever seen.

"It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, like a super, special movie. I cannot wait for people to see it. And talk about a cast, stacked cast, man, we had some great actors in there, and Duke did a beautiful job with the movie"