Blue Moon: Release date, cast and characters, plot, where to watch and more

Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon is already generating major awards buzz following its celebrated festival run. The 2025 American biographical comedy-drama reunites Linklater with longtime collaborator Ethan Hawke for what many critics are calling one of the actor’s most transformative performances to date. Written by Robert Kaplow — best known for Me and Orson Welles — Blue Moon tells the story of lyricist Lorenz Hart, one half of the legendary songwriting duo Rodgers and Hart, as he faces a night of reckoning on the evening of his former partner’s greatest success.

Set in 1943, Blue Moon captures the fading glow of Broadway’s Golden Age through a single, whiskey-soaked night at Sardi’s restaurant. The film explores creative rivalry, heartbreak and identity as Hart wrestles with his past while Richard Rodgers celebrates the opening of Oklahoma! with a new partner, Oscar Hammerstein II.

Following its acclaimed debut at the Berlin International Film Festival — where Scott earned the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance — Blue Moon is being hailed as one of the most emotionally resonant performances of Hawke’s career, and one of Linklater’s most intimate works.

Blue Moon release details explored

The biographical comedy drama film Blue Moon was released in limited theaters on October 17, 2025, in the United States. The film opened first in select cities, including New York and Los Angeles, before expanding nationwide on October 24, 2025. The film is available exclusively in theaters through the fall, with a streaming release expected on Sony Pictures’ partner platforms early in 2026.

While the studio has yet to confirm digital or streaming dates, Sony Pictures Classics typically moves its titles to on-demand and major streaming platforms like Netflix or Prime Video within a few months of release, suggesting early 2026 availability.

Cast details for Blue Moon explored

Blue Moon features an ensembled cast led by Ethan Hawke as Lorenz Hart, the lyricist behind songs like My Funny Valentine and Blue Moon. Additionally, the list also includes Andrew Scott as Richard Rodgers, Margaret Qualley as Elizabeth Weiland and Bobby Cannavale as Eddie. The supporting cast includes Simon Delaney as Oscar Hammerstein II, Patrick Kennedy as E.B. White, Jonah Lees as Morty Rifkin, Cillian Sullivan as Stephen Sondheim and Anne Brogan as Frieda Hart.

The film was written by Robert Kaplow and directed by Richard Linklater. Graham Reynolds composed the music and Shane F. Kelly served as the cinematographer for the film.

Plot details and trailer breakdown

Blue Moon begins with Lorenz Hart skipping the premiere of Oklahoma! — the show that cements Richard Rodgers’ legacy. Alone at Sardi’s, Hart drowns his insecurities in alcohol as he reflects on his broken partnership, fading fame, and the pain of being a closeted artist in an unforgiving era. The whole film is set over the course of a single evening on March 31, 1943. The story unfolds almost entirely within the bar, as Hart’s memories and hallucinations intertwine. The trailer teases the film’s theatrical energy and Linklater’s signature fluid pacing. 

Whether for its lush performances, poignant script, or its exploration of love and legacy, Blue Moon reminds audiences why Linklater and Hawke remain one of cinema’s most enduring duos.