Neon released the first U.S. trailer for Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” showcasing Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård as a fractured father-daughter pair whose uneasy rapprochement is complicated when Elle Fanning’s Hollywood interloper joins their Norwegian household. The feature captured the Grand Prix at Cannes on 21 May after a prolonged standing ovation, positioning it as Norway’s frontrunner for the next International Feature Oscar race.
Trier co-wrote the script with long-time collaborator Eskil Vogt; their story follows stage actor Nora and sister Agnes confronting their celebrated but self-absorbed director father Gustav, who casts a young American star in a thinly veiled film about their family. The ensemble rounds out with Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Cory Michael Smith and Catherine Cohen, while Kasper Tuxen handles cinematography and Polish composer Hania Rani supplies the score.
Production companies from six European nations backed the €18 million drama, shot largely in Oslo and the fjordside town of Ålesund last summer under strict SAG-AFTRA interim agreements that let U.S. talent continue working during the 2024 strike.
Following festival acclaim, Neon set a limited domestic launch for 7 November with gradual expansion toward Thanksgiving, a corridor frequently reserved for awards hopefuls. International roll-out begins 20 August in France via Memento and 12 September across Scandinavia through Nordisk Film, with Mubi handling the U.K. and several other territories later in the year.
Trade analysts at Franchise Entertainment Research project an opening near $8 million in New York and Los Angeles, citing Reinsve’s rising profile after “The Worst Person in the World” and Skarsgård’s global recognition from “Dune: Part Two”.
Commentators such as Awards Radar note that the distribution plan mirrors Neon’s successful slow-burn strategy for “Parasite,” suggesting confidence in crossover appeal beyond the arthouse circuit. With its Cannes pedigree, multilingual cast and late-autumn slot, “Sentimental Value” enters the season as one of the few non-English contenders expected to compete prominently across multiple Academy categories.
