Focus Features has released the first trailer for Song Sung Blue, Craig Brewer’s musical drama starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as Milwaukee couple Mike and Claire Sardina, whose Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning & Thunder turns into both a lifeline and a love story. The film opens in U.S. theaters on December 25, 2025.
The trailer showcases Jackman and Hudson performing Diamond staples and charts the pair’s shift from everyday grind to small-stage notoriety, signaling a performance-driven approach rooted in bar-band intimacy rather than spectacle. Early materials confirm the use of Diamond hits such as “Cherry, Cherry” and “Sweet Caroline,” positioning the music as narrative scaffolding as much as crowd-pleaser.
Brewer writes and directs, adapting the story from Greg Kohs’ 2008 documentary about the Sardinas; Kohs serves as an executive producer on the new feature. The project’s path from nonfiction to scripted film underscores its focus on partnership and perseverance, with Brewer reuniting elements of his music-centric filmmaking while centering a middle-American setting.
The cast includes Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, Mustafa Shakir, Hudson Hilbert Hensley, Fisher Stevens and Jim Belushi, with musician King Princess making a screen debut. The official synopsis describes “two down-on-their-luck musicians” who form a tribute band and find purpose, mirroring the trailer’s mix of rehearsal-room grind and stage release.
Song Sung Blue is positioned as a feel-good Christmas Day play for adult audiences, with Focus handling domestic rollout and a campaign built around well-known songs and star chemistry. Coverage accompanying the trailer emphasizes the real-life basis of the couple’s act and frames the film as an affectionate portrait rather than a traditional biopic.
