Oliver Hermanus’ ‘The History of Sound’ Starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor Won’t Be Ready for Fall Festivals

Oliver Hermanus‘ new historical romantic gay drama film starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, which is titled, ‘The History of Sound‘ will be not ready for this fall festival premiere. This is because the film’s work is not completely ready, as confirmed by Hermanus. He says, “We have a lot of score to create.”

Hermanus was recently honored by the Critics Choice Association at their inaugural LGBTQ+ Celebration of Cinema & Television event in Los Angeles, where he received the Director Award for Television (Series) for his work on the STARZ limited series, Mary & George. Additionally, his most recent film, Living (2022), earned star Bill Nighy an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

The website AwardsWatch claimed that they were at the event in Los Angeles and asked Hermanus if ‘The History of Sound’ would be ready for Cannes 2024.

Hermanus said, “Venice asked for it but it’s not ready.” Hermanus added, “We have a lot of scores to create, Paul [Mescal] and Josh [O’Connor] sing in it, and it’s all about sound.” he continued, “The film will be aiming for Cannes 2025.”

The film is based on the short story of the same name by Ben Shattuck. Hermanus directs from the screenplay he co-wrote with Ben Shattuck. It follows two men, Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor), who fall in love while traveling together to record the stories and songs of their countrymen during World War I. Molly Price will star as Lionel’s mother, and Alison Bartlett will portray Samantha.

During the announcement, Hermanus said, “This is an unexpected love story that needs to be told—it is a journey through the life of America, across the 20th century, and the traditions of American folk music, all seen through the bond between two men immersed in the history of sound.”

Produced by Lisa Ciuffetti, Tim Haslam, Andrew Kortschak, Sara Murphy, Andrea Roa, and Thérèsa Ryan, the film is backed by production companies Film4 and End Cue.

The film currently lacks a U.S. distributor. However, following its premiere, studios will acquire the rights. As of now, the release date is to be announced (TBA).