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The first trailer for Oliver Hermanus’ poetic The History of Sound, starring The Crown Emmy winner Josh O’Connor and Gladiator II standout Paul Mescal, dropped today.

The World War I love story is adapted from Ben Shattuck’s Pushcart Prize-winning short story. Hermanus directs for Cop Car producer End Cue. Molly Price, Alison Bartlett and Chris Cooper also star.

Shattuck’s short story revolves around two young men, Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor). The film, set in 1917, sees Lionel — a young, talented music student — meet David at the Boston Conservatory, where they bond over a deep love of folk music. Years later, Lionel receives a letter from David, leading to an impromptu journey through the backwoods of Maine to collect traditional songs. This unexpected reunion, ensuing love affair, and the music they collect and preserve, will shape the course of Lionel’s life far beyond his own awareness.

The trailer for Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor‘s new movie has been released!

Paul, 29, and Josh, 35, star in the new romance movie The History of Sound, which will be released in theaters this fall.

Here’s the synopsis: “In 1917, Lionel (Mescal) — a young, talented music student—meets David (O’Connor) at the Boston Conservatory, where they bond over a deep love of folk music. Years later, Lionel receives a letter from David, leading to an impromptu journey through the backwoods of Maine to collect traditional songs. This unexpected reunion, ensuing love affair, and the music they collect and preserve, will shape the course of Lionel’s life far beyond his own awareness.”

Keep reading to find out more…The movie, directed by Oliver Hermanus and written by Ben Shattuck, also stars Molly Price, Alison Bartlett, and Chris Cooper.

While at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, Paul called...

"There was a moment when I realized that I had probably never been as happy as I was when collecting songs.." Mubi has revealed the first official trailer for a heartrending, romantic film titled The History of Sound, made by acclaimed South African filmmaker Oliver Hermanus. This premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival a few months ago to mixed reviews - some raves, but plenty of negative reviews as well. Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor play star-crossed lovers Lionel and David in the film - a sweeping, moving and tender romance from Oliver Hermanus. Two young men during World War I set out to record the lives, voices and music of their American countrymen. They're both in love with folk music and walk through the forests of Maine to find and record these songs forever. But little do they know this will change the course of both of their lives.

On Thursday, Mubi launched the official trailer for The History of Sound, a historical romance directed by Oliver Hermanus (Living) and starring Oscar nominee Paul Mescal (Aftersun) and Emmy winner Josh O'Connor (The Crown).

The film had its world premiere at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on May 21, where it was nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or. Keep reading for everything you need to know about The History of Sound, including its official trailer.

What's the plot?

In 1917, Lionel (Mescal) — a young, talented music student — meets David (O'Connor) at the Boston Conservatory, where they bond over a deep love of folk music. Years later, Lionel receives a letter from David, leading to an impromptu journey through the backwoods of Maine to collect traditional songs. This unexpected reunion, ensuing love affair, and the music they collect and preserve, will shape the course of Lionel’s life far beyond his own awareness.

Exclusive: Mubi’s Cannes Film Festival pick-up of Oliver Hermanus period gay romance, The History of Sound, is hitting theaters on Sept. 12.

While nothing has been confirmed, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this movie makes a pit stop at TIFF, many Cannes hits making their North American debut there as they tee up for awards season.

Mubi took North America out of Cannes, while Focus Features took international rights.

Blurb for movie which stars Paul Mescal, Josh O’Connor, Molly Price, Alison Bartlett, and Chris Cooper: In 1917, Lionel—a young, talented music student—meets David at the Boston Conservatory, where they bond over a deep love of folk music. Years later, Lionel receives a letter from David, leading to an impromptu journey through the backwoods of Maine to collect traditional songs. This unexpected reunion, ensuing love affair, and the music they collect and preserve, will shape the course...

Paul Mescal continues to emerge as one of the finest young actors working today. The Irish actor rose to fame for his lead role in the BBC/Hulu miniseries Normal People, for which he earned an Emmy nomination. From there, Mescal transitioned to film with his feature debut in The Lost Daughter and quickly earned his first Academy Award nomination for his quietly devastating performance as a troubled father in A24's Aftersun. He also starred in the LGBTQ+ romance All of Us Strangers, earning a BAFTA nomination for his performance.

However, for his first major action blockbuster, Mescal carefully chose Ridley Scott's Gladiator II, playing the lead role of Lucius, the son of Russell Crowe's Maximus. Despite expanding to big-budget filmmaking, Mescal hasn't lost his identity as an actor and continues to opt mostly for smaller, independent projects that showcase his subtle sensibilities as an actor. This...

Gracie Abrams supported her boyfriend Paul Mescal at his movie premiere!

The 25-year-old singer stepped out for the 29-year-old actor’s The History of Sound premiere during the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday (May 21) in Cannes, France.

Paul was in attendance to support the film, and was joined by some of the cast and crew!

Also in attendance were his co-stars Hadley Robinson, Alison Bartlett, and Raphael Sbarge, director Oliver Hermanus, screenwriter and producer Ben Shattuck, producer Zhang Xin, and more.

Gracie and Paul were first linked in June 2024, and he’s been seen supporting her at some of her shows over the past year. They’ve made one official appearance together as a couple.

If you didn’t see, back in December, Gracie made a rare comment about her love life amid her romance with Paul.

Fyi: Gracie is wearing Chanel.

In today’s TV news roundup, Sesame Workshop announced a premiere date for “Sesame Street’s Historic 50th Anniversary Celebration” and “Brave New World” adds Sophie McIntosh.

Casting

New Zealand actress Sophie McIntosh has been cast in USA Network’s “Brave New World” series, Variety has learned exclusively. She will play the recurring role of Jane, and joins a cast which includes Alden Ehrenreich, Harry Lloyd and Jessica Brown Findlay. McIntosh is repped by Echo Lake Entertainment, Johnson and Laird Management in New Zealand, and Bloomfields Welch Management in the U.K.

Dates

Iliza Shlesinger’s fifth original Netflix comedy special will premiere Nov. 19 on the streaming platform. In the hour-long special, the newly married Shlesinger will pull back the veil on the dangers of having a zombie bachelorette army while also discussing wedding planning, garters and honeymooning.

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind “Sesame Street,” announced the historic 50th season...

Chicago – Ti West’s “The Innkeepers” is one of the most divisive films of the year, a love-it-or-hate-it affair — my favorite kind of movie. I see both sides. I get how the slow burn doesn’t work for some people (and, honestly, it didn’t really work for me in West’s “House of the Devil”) and I get how modern horror fans might be upset at the lack of a sure payoff in this ghost story.

Blu-ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

However, it’s like a ghost story around a camp fire. For every camper who thinks it’s silly, the kid next to him can feel his skin crawl. For me, it’s a great, atmospheric piece that emphasizes setting over modern horror conventions like slashers and twist endings. It’s old-fashioned…and I mean that as a compliment even if I know it may not be to you.

The Blu-ray...

Mpi Media Group will release The Innkeepers on Blu-ray and DVD April 24, and we're celebrating this new horror film which stars Sara Paxton and Pat Healy. We have a contest running and we're giving away gatefolds signed by director Ti West, a poster from The Dude Designs, and the standard DVD. These prizes will surely go fast, so enter this contest today.

Winners Receive:

The Innkeepers gatefolds signed by director Ti WestThe Innkeepers poster by The Dude DesignsThe Innkeepers DVD

Here's How To Win!

Just "Like" (fan) the MovieWeb Facebook page (below) and then leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

If you already "Like" MovieWeb, just leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn in Connecticut is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees - Claire (Sara Paxton,...

High-Profile New Releases The Innkeepers (Dark Sky Films) Release Date: Feb 03, 2012 Directed by: Ti West Cast:Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Alison Bartlett, Kelly McGillis,Lena Dunham. Full cast + crew   Verdict: Buy Me Available On: Blu-ray, DVD, VOD Special Features: Behind the Scenes (7 minutes), and two commentary tracks, one with West and his producers Peter Phok and Larry Fessenden, the second with sound designer and second unit director Graham Reznick Additional Thoughts: My love for the films of Ti West, and The Innkeepers in particular, is well documented on Movies.com. If, however, you've managed to escape my massive interview with West, let me just say that I think that his latest film may just be my...

Read More...

An New England inn about to close for good is the classically creepy setting for The Innkeepers, the acclaimed new film from Ti West, the young filmmaker whose critically praised Ti West gave the genre a jolt. Starring Sara Paxton, Pat Healy and Kelly McGillis, The Innkeepers comes to Blu-ray and DVD from Dark Sky Films and Mpi Media Group on April 24, 2012, with SRPs of, respectively, $34.98 and $27.98.

After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn in Connecticut is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees - Claire (Sara Paxton, Shark Night 3D, The Last House on the Left) and Luke (Pat Healy, Dirty Girl) - are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England's most haunted hotels. As the inn's final days draw near, odd guests start to check in and the pair of minimum wage "ghost hunters" begin...

Director: Ti West Writer: Ti West Starring: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, George Riddle, Alison Bartlett, Lena Dunham, Jake Schlueter The greatest critics of the horror genre will make definitive statements about its reliance on formulas and tropes, cliches and repetition, and cheap tricks to garner gasps and shrieks from the audience. While these observations may be true for most of the Blockbuster hits that will spike adrenaline in theaters, this trend has also given birth to a delightful breed of satirical horror masters. Let it be said that Ti West is royalty among them, and his new film, The Innkeepers, does not disappoint. Set in a retiring hotel, The Innkeepers is a neat horror package. Skeleton crew of the hotel staff, Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) are self-fashioned ghost hunters, intent on capturing evidence of a haunting in the Yankee Pedlar Inn’s final days. Naturally,...

Chicago – Ti West’s “The Innkeepers” is one of the most effective horror movies of the last several years, a true gem of the genre that reminds a scary movie junkie like myself why I fell in love with them in the first place. With his stellar production values and a perfection of the slow burn pace that he employed in the arthouse hit “House of the Devil,” West takes a leap to the forefront of directors working in modern horror. Don’t miss this one.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

“The Innkeepers” requires patience. There are long chunks in which nothing substantial happens and modern horror fans weaned on the “Saw” franchise may long for a Jigsaw Killer or Bloody Mary to spice things up. Trust me. It’s worth the patience. And it’s not like “House of the Devil” where virtually nothing happens for an hour. There’s a sense throughout...

The House of the Devil director Ti West returns to the multiplexes with The Innkeepers, a fantastic indie horror tale which is currently available on demand and hits theaters February 3. Ironically enough, The Innkeepers concept was spawned from Ti West's experiences shooting The House of the Devil, and the Connecticut hotel they stayed in, The Yankee Pedlar Inn. The Innkeepers centers on the very same inn, only in this story, the hotel is about to close, and the two front desk employees (Sara Paxton and Pat Healy) are determined to prove the Peddlar is in fact haunted. We got to sit down with actress Sara Paxton and director Ti West, and you can click on the video player below to see what they had to say about The Innkeepers.

Click to watch Exclusive: Sara Paxton and Ti West The Innkeepers Interview!

The Innkeepers was released February 3rd, 2012 and stars Sara Paxton,...

Title: The Innkeepers Directed By: Ti West Starring: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, George Riddle, Alison Bartlett, Lena Dunham, Jake Ryan, John Speredakos Sick of all the same old tricks in the horror genre? Well, get ready because The Innkeepers uses them all. Eerie tracking shots, spooky noises and an unoriginal story, but, oddly enough, writer-director Ti West manages to put enough of his authorial expressivity on the piece to deliver something that may not feel fresh, but is still refreshingly nostalgic. It’s the Yankee Pedlar Inn’s last days in business and Claire and Luke (Sara Paxton and Pat Healy) are the only two employees left, assigned to keep...

Chicago – In our latest horror/thriller edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of “The Innkeepers” starring Sara Paxton from “The House of the Devil” director Ti West!

“The Innkeepers” also stars Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, Alison Bartlett, Jake Ryan, Kelly McGillis, Lena Dunham, George Riddle, Brenda Cooney, John Speredakos, Sean Reid, Kurt Venghaus, Thomas Mahoney, Michael Martin and Michael P. Castelli from writer and director Ti West.

To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “The Innkeepers” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This advance screening is on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2011 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “The Innkeepers” starring Sara Paxton.

Image credit: Dark Sky Films

Here is the synopsis...

Speak to Us Clip from The Innkeepers, starring Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Alison Bartlett, Jake Schlueter and Kelly McGillis. In this new movie clip, Claire (Paxton) and Luke (Healy) try contact a spirit in the Ti West-directed and scripted horror/thriller. After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees -Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) - are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England's most haunted hotels. As the Inn’s final days draw near, odd guests check in as the pair of minimum wage “ghost hunters” begin to experience strange and alarming events that may ultimately cause them to be mere footnotes in the hotel’s long unexplained history...

Speak to Us Clip from The Innkeepers, starring Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Alison Bartlett, Jake Schlueter and Kelly McGillis. In this new movie clip, Claire (Paxton) and Luke (Healy) try contact a spirit in the Ti West-directed and scripted horror/thriller. After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees -Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) - are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England's most haunted hotels. As the Inn’s final days draw near, odd guests check in as the pair of minimum wage “ghost hunters” begin to experience strange and alarming events that may ultimately cause them to be mere footnotes in the hotel’s long unexplained history...

Speak to Us Clip from The Innkeepers, starring Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Alison Bartlett, Jake Schlueter and Kelly McGillis. In this new movie clip, Claire (Paxton) and Luke (Healy) try contact a spirit in the Ti West-directed and scripted horror/thriller. After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees -Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) - are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England's most haunted hotels. As the Inn’s final days draw near, odd guests check in as the pair of minimum wage “ghost hunters” begin to experience strange and alarming events that may ultimately cause them to be mere footnotes in the hotel’s long unexplained history...

Title: The Innkeepers Magnet Releasing Director: Ti West Screenwriter: Ti West Cast: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, George Riddle, Alison Bartlett, Jake Schlueter, Lena Dunham Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 12/21/11 Opens: December 30, 2011 on demand. February 3, 2012 in theaters If you’ve done some traveling you know that you have a choice: you can stay at a 5-star Hilton or Intercontinental, or you can stay in less expensive accommodations ranging from a youth hostel to a comfortable, non-chain inn. You will not likely find ghosts at the expensive places: just businessmen and businesswomen in gray suits. Dull. But if you go off the beaten track, like to...

Ti West's new haunted house flick 'The Innkeepers' has gone all viral and a new clip featuring Evp footage has been unleashed. Evp (Electronic Voice Phenomena) is a technique used widely in the field of Paranormal Investigation as you'll discover in the unsettling clip. The lovely Sara Paxton -below ('Shark Night 3D') stars as Claire who is dead set on uncovering the ghostly truth of the apparently haunted Inn where she works. Kelly McGillis ('Top Gun'), Pat Healy, George Riddle, Alison Bartlett, Lena Dunham and John Speredakos all co-star in the movie which hits VOD later this month. Check out the clip below....

A new selection of fresh stills from Ti West's new haunted house chiller 'The Innkeepers' in preparation for its arrival on VOD on 30 December. Sadly they're not the most exciting batch of stills thus far but we've managed to slip in a sweet pic of star Sara Paxton to help brighten up the page. A theatrical run for the movie will kick off from 3 February 2012. Kelly McGillis ('Top Gun'), Pat Healy, George Riddle, Alison Bartlett, Lena Dunham and John Speredakos all co-star alongside Miss Paxton (below). Check out the new stills below....

Two years ago writer/director Ti West established himself as one of the premiere voices in American horror with the tantalizing satanic tease of The House Of The Devil. Now he returns with another slowburn horror tale in the haunted hotel flick The Innkeepers. His latest effort incorporates quirky humor into his methodically paced style with mixed results. West is adept at writing subtly comedic characters and building tension, but something about the combination of the two techniques feels awkward in this outing. Tension is often killed by the comedy and the delicate mundane world of the characters clashes with the film’s supernatural shenanigans at times. It’s an undeniably flawed effort, but still an unconventional spin on the genre from a uniquely personal filmmaker that deserves to be seen, even if lowered expectations apply. Collider got an early peak at the film last week at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival,...

Director: Ti West Writer: Ti West Starring: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, George Riddle, Alison Bartlett, Lena Dunham, Jake Schlueter The 19th century New England hotel, The Yankee Pedlar Inn, will be closing its doors for good in a couple of days. Two employees -- Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) -- remain, working in alternating 12-hour shifts and sleeping in the hotel. There is an obvious shortage of hotel guests, so Claire and Luke keep themselves occupied by attempting to document the existence of ghosts via an Evp recorder. Claire becomes obsessed with attempting to make contact with one specific ghost, Madeline O’Malley; she gets some assistance from a famous actress-turned-psychic, Leanne Rease-Jones (Kelly McGillis), who recently checked into the hotel as a guest. With The Innkeepers, writer-director Ti West plays with the traditional tropes and formulas of classic haunted house stories. For example, conventional wisdom...

The stars of longrunning children's show Sesame Street are campaigning against plans to cut spending on public broadcasting amid fears it will affect funding for the programme.

Emilio Delgado, who portrays Luis, and Roscoe Orman (Gordon) were among the actors who turned up at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to march in protest after Congress officials announced plans to cut the broadcasting budget, which totalled $420 million (£280 million) last year.

The Sesame Street stars, who also include Alison Bartlett O'Reilly (Gina), Alan Muraoka (Alan) and Bob McGrath (Bob), fear the decision will affect children's education if the show is hit by the spending review.

The actors appeared at the iconic landmark as part of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, to sign a petition asking for the Senate to rethink the plans, reports the Associated Press.

More than 1.2 million signatures are on the petition.

Check out the first movie poster from The Innkeepers, starring Sara Paxton, Pat Healy and Kelly McGillis. Dark Sky Films distributes the release which makes its premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 12th. Ti West (The House of the Devil, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever) directs the thriller/horror which tells of the last two employees at a haunted hotel that's going out of business. Also in the cast are George Riddle, Lena Dunham, John Speredakos and Alison Bartlett. I love the design of this poster. Unique. Check out The Innkeepers poster...

Check out the first movie poster from The Innkeepers, starring Sara Paxton, Pat Healy and Kelly McGillis. Dark Sky Films distributes the release which makes its premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 12th. Ti West (The House of the Devil, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever) directs the thriller/horror which tells of the last two employees at a haunted hotel that's going out of business. Also in the cast are George Riddle, Lena Dunham, John Speredakos and Alison Bartlett. I love the design of this poster. Unique. Check out The Innkeepers poster...