Film Music Reporter

Songwriter/record producer Gary Clark and director John Carney (Once, Begin Again) have written the original songs for the upcoming musical comedy drama Power Ballad. They also composed the original score for the film directed by Carney and starring Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Havana Rose Liu, Marcella Plunkett and Jack Reynor. The movie follows a past-his-prime wedding singer who crosses paths with a fading boyband star during a gig, but when his new friend turns one of his songs into the hit that reignites his career, he sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves. Carney also co-wrote the screenplay with McDonald and is producing the Likely Story production with Anthony Bregman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Foxcatcher), Peter Cron (Do Revenge, Every Day) and Rebecca O’Flanagan & Robert Walpole (Handsome Devil, Papi Chulo). Clark has previously co-written the songs for Carney’s features Sing Street (and the stage musical adaptation) and Flora and Son and also served as the executive music producer on Carney’s Prime Video original series Modern Love. Power Ballad is premiering today at the 2026 Dublin Film Festival and will be released in U.S. theaters on June 5, 2026 by Lionsgate.