New Trailer For POWER BALLAD with Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, and It Hits a More Emotional Note
Lionsgate has released a new trailer for Power Ballad, the latest music-driven film from John Carney, and it leans harder into the emotional core of the story. If you’re into stories about musicians chasing relevance, clashing egos, and the messy cost of ambition, this one looks like it’s going to land.
Carney, the filmmaker behind Once, Begin Again, Sing Street, and Flora and Son, returns with another character-focused story built around music, but this time the tone feels a bit heavier.
The story centers on Rick, played by Paul Rudd, a wedding singer who’s clearly past his peak, and Danny, played by Nick Jonas, a former boy band star trying to hang onto his fading spotlight.
Their connection starts simply enough with a shared love of music and a late-night jam session. But things spiral when Danny takes one of Rick’s songs and turns it into a major hit, reigniting his own career while leaving Rick in the shadows.
That’s where the story sharpens. Rick isn’t content watching someone else succeed off his work, and he sets out to claim the credit he feels he’s owed, even if it costs him everything else in his life.
It’s a story that mixes personal drama with the music industry grind, and the new trailer makes it clear that this isn’t just a light comedy. There’s tension, resentment, and a real sense of what’s at stake for both characters.
The supporting cast includes Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Rory Keenan, Keith McErlean, Jack Reynor, Paul Reid, Beth Fallon, Havana Rose Liu, and Naoimh Whelton rounding things out.
Carney co-wrote the screenplay with Peter McDonald, and as expected from Carney, music isn’t just background here, it’s woven directly into the characters’ identities and conflicts.
The first trailer leaned more into the humor and charm, but this new look shifts the focus. It highlights the emotional fallout of creative ownership, friendship under pressure, and what happens when success comes at the wrong person’s expense. It still has that uplifting energy Carney is known for, but there’s a sharper edge this time.
Power Ballad is set to hit U.S. theaters on June 5, 2026.