The Drama
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli
Written by Kristoffer Borgli
Produced by
  • Ari Aster
  • Lars Knudsen
  • Tyler Campellone
Starring
  • Zendaya
  • Robert Pattinson
Cinematography Arseni Khachaturan
Edited by Joshua Raymond Lee Kristoffer Borgli
Music by Daniel Pemberton
Production
company
Square Peg
Distributed by A24
Release dates
  • March 17, 2026 (2026-03-17) (Los Angeles)
  • April 3, 2026 (2026-04-03) (United States)
Running time
105 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $28 million[2]
Box office $122 million[3][4]

The Drama is a 2026 American romantic black comedy film[5][6][7] written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli. It stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a happily engaged couple whose relationship is tested by an unexpected revelation during the week before their wedding. It also stars Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie, and Hailey Gates in supporting roles.

The Drama premiered on March 17, 2026 in Los Angeles and was released in the United States by A24 on April 3. The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $122 million worldwide on a $28 million budget.[8]

Plot

At a café in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Charlie approaches Emma while she is reading, pretending he has read the same book. Emma seemingly ignores him, and he returns to his seat before approaching her again to apologize for making her uncomfortable. Emma then notices him and explains that she is deaf in one ear and had not heard him earlier, and invites him to retry his original approach, leading to a date.

Two years later, Emma and Charlie are to be married within a week. One night, they witness their wedding DJ, Pauline, smoking heroin in a public park. They later discuss the incident with Mike and his wife Rachel, who are to be their best man and maid of honor, respectively. While deliberating over whether to fire Pauline, Emma defends her, saying each of them has probably done bad things. The group takes turns admitting the worst thing each of them has done: Mike used his ex-girlfriend as a human shield during a dog attack, Rachel locked her "slow" childhood neighbor in an abandoned trailer overnight, and Charlie cyberbullied a classmate so severely that his family moved away. Emma hesitantly reveals that when she was fifteen, she planned to commit a school shooting; her partial deafness resulted from practice firing a rifle too close to her ear, though she had previously told Charlie she was born deaf. The revelation shocks everyone but particularly angers Rachel, whose cousin Samantha was paralyzed in a shooting.

Charlie begins reconsidering how well he knows Emma. When pressed, Emma explains that she planned the shooting when she was depressed and bullied. She became drawn to the online communities around gun violence, but abandoned her plan after seeing how another mass shooting negatively affected her community and instead began advocating for gun control, finally making friends among her fellow activists. They awkwardly continue preparing for the wedding under increasing strain on their relationship. Emma begins having shooting-related nightmares, while Charlie grows paranoid regarding her mental state and fixates on gun-related imagery.

Rachel repeatedly ignores Emma to the point that she is incommunicado about a project Emma's office hired her for. When Emma inadvertently recommends to her boss that Rachel be removed from the project, Rachel ends their friendship and decides not to attend the wedding. However, Charlie later persuades her to go and attempts to defend Emma. He shortly thereafter has an awkward encounter with Samantha, who he frantically assures "would love Emma".

While at work, Charlie asks his coworker Misha how she would react if she learned her boyfriend Blake had planned a school shooting in his youth. When Misha says she would call the police, a distraught Charlie storms out and breaks down in tears. As Misha attempts to comfort him, he kisses her and begins removing her clothes but quickly stops himself. They agree not to tell their respective partners about their encounter. Charlie and Emma later have a tense meeting with Pauline, where Emma reveals what they saw and ultimately fires her despite Pauline swearing her innocence, while Charlie becomes stressed after his encounter with Misha.

At Charlie and Emma's wedding reception, Rachel drunkenly gives a passive-aggressive speech. She derides Emma for her dishonesty and Charlie for going through with the wedding, which increases Emma's anxiety. In the bathroom, Emma overhears Misha discussing a school shooting. Emma alerts Charlie to her concerns that the attendees are gossiping about them, and pulls Misha aside to confront her. Mistakenly believing Emma is referring to her tryst with Charlie, Misha blames Charlie for kissing her first, to Emma's shock. Charlie gives a disastrous speech reaffirming his love for Emma, assuring the guests that Emma "didn't do anything", and apologizing for cheating on her with Misha. Blake furiously confronts and attacks Charlie, and Emma leaves during the ensuing chaos.

A bloodied and miserable Charlie returns to their apartment in search of Emma. After failing to find or contact her, he goes to his and Emma's favorite diner – where Emma had previously suggested they go after the wedding – alone. Emma soon arrives and sits across from him. They reintroduce themselves as if meeting for the first time, and smile tearfully at one another.

Cast

The Drama stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson
  • Zendaya as Emma Harwood, a bookstore clerk from Baton Rouge, Louisiana[9]
    • Jordyn Curet as young Emma
  • Robert Pattinson as Charlie Thompson, a British museum director and Emma's fiancé[9]
  • Alana Haim as Rachel, Emma's maid of honor
  • Mamoudou Athie as Mike, Charlie's best man and Rachel's husband
  • Hailey Gates as Misha, Charlie's coworker
  • Zoë Winters as Frances, the wedding photographer
  • Hannah Gross as Alice, Emma and Rachel's boss
  • Sydney Lemmon as Pauline, a DJ and former musician hired by Emma and Charlie for their wedding[10]
  • Anna Baryshnikov as Sam, a partially paralyzed mass shooting survivor and Rachel's cousin.[11]
  • Michael Abbott Jr. as Blake, Misha's current boyfriend[12]
  • Damon Gupton as Roger, Emma's father
  • Jeremy Levick as Ivan, the DJ hired to replace Pauline

Production

Development

In August 2024, Deadline reported that Kristoffer Borgli would be responsible for writing and directing The Drama for A24. Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, and Tyler Campellone were set to produce it under their Square Peg studio, with Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in early negotiations to star.[13] In October 2024, Mamoudou Athie and Alana Haim joined the cast.[14]

Filming

Principal photography began on October 21, 2024 in the United Kingdom.[15] On November 6, Zendaya and Pattinson filmed scenes in the Boston neighborhood of Back Bay and Beacon Street.[16] Charlie and Emma's meet-cute was filmed at Tatte Bakery near John Hancock Tower in Boston.[17] Scenes for Charlie and Emma's apartment were filmed at 43 Union Park in Boston.[18] Borgli chose the location due to its spiral staircase, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and ornate period-specific molding and decorative detailing.[17] Wine tasting and wedding scenes were filmed at the Turner Hill Golf Club in Ipswich.[17] The Addison Gallery of American Art in Andover, Massachusetts, was used as the fictional Cambridge Art Museum.[18]

Additional filming took place in New York City and Los Angeles.[19] The production also spent $2.9 million shooting in New Orleans, Louisiana.[20] Most scenes featuring a young Emma were shot on location at Riverdale High School in Jefferson Parish, part of the Greater New Orleans area.[17] Filming wrapped in February 2025.[21]

Costume design

Intending Charlie and Emma to look like "a cohesive unit", costume designer Katina Danabassis chose unisex flannels and interchangeable basics for both to wear. She found some basics from a thrift store that gave a more lived-in look to loungewear. As the film is set in Boston, Danabassis chose Ivy League–inspired clothing for Charlie, including Margaret Howell and vintage Gap pieces.[22] Emma's clothing reflects her character with simple, comfort-focused pieces, often oversized like they could have been borrowed from Charlie.[22] Having previously worked with Zendaya on Euphoria, Danabassis called her "possibly the easiest person to dress".[23]

Informed by the Patti Bellantoni film criticism book If It's Purple, Someone's Gonna Die, Emma's color palette reflected the character's mental state. For example, a green sweater during her meet-cute with Charlie "symbolize[d] that there's some type of mental instability there", according to Danabassis.[22] Danabassis chose a Lawrence traditional bridal gown by Jenny Yoo out of eight or nine options to be Emma's wedding dress. Four identical versions of the dress were produced for the film's action-heavy third act.[23]

Music

Daniel Pemberton composed the film's score.[24] The Drama also includes tracks from Alicia Keys, Smerz, Sibylle Baier, Todd Terje, Judee Sill, Katie Fash, Elusin, and FAKETHIAS,[25] and prominently features Jesse Rae's cover of the song "Inside Out".[26]

Release

The Drama premiered on March 17, 2026 at DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles.[27] The film was released in the U.S. on April 3, 2026.[28]

Marketing

On December 8, 2025, editors of The Boston Globe's Living/Arts team received a request from A24 to hold their daily TV Critic's Corner column so an advertisement could run next to the newspaper's romance advice column, Love Letters.[9] A mock engagement announcement for The Drama was published the following day, which revealed plot details and character information.[9] A teaser trailer was released on December 10, 2025.[29][30]

Reception

Box office

As of May 4, 2026, The Drama has grossed $47 million in the United States and Canada, and $75 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $122 million.[3]

In the United States and Canada, The Drama was released alongside The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and was projected to gross $12–15 million from 3,151 theaters in its opening weekend.[2] It made $6.3 million on its first day and went on to debut to $14.3 million, finishing in third.[31] In its second weekend the film grossed $8.7 million (a drop of 39.4%), remaining in third.[32] The film crossed $100 million worldwide on April 22, becoming the fifth film in A24's history to do so.[33]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 262 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Flirting with complex themes, The Drama walks a tonal tightrope with impressive poise thanks to career-highlight performances by Robert Pattinson and Zendaya."[34] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[35] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[31]

William Bibbiani of TheWrap praised the film's performances and tonal ambition, noting its blend of psychological horror and uneasy comedy, though he found the reveal about Zendaya's character deliberately unsettling and difficult to fully enjoy.[36] G. Allen Johnson of the San Francisco Chronicle highlighted the film's focus on empathy and character reactions, singling out Zendaya's layered performance as the emotional core of the story.[37] Joey Magidson of Awards Radar commended the cast, particularly Zendaya, but criticized the screenplay for lacking development and momentum, ultimately concluding that the film falls short of its potential despite strong individual elements.[38] Nikki Gemmell in The Australian praised the actors, but called the script dishonest and repulsive; she gave it 1 out of 5 stars.[39]

The film garnered criticism for its depiction of school shootings. In the film, Emma confesses to her fiancé Charlie that she once planned a school shooting when she was a teenager. Odie Henderson of The Boston Globe awarded the film 0 out of 4 stars for this, calling it "repugnant [and] tasteless".[40] March for Our Lives, an association led by survivors of the Parkland high school shooting, criticized the marketing for the film, which they characterized as "misleading". Tom Mauser, the father of a victim of the Columbine High School shooting also criticized the movie, saying it "humanized" school shooters.[41] A24 did not reveal the twist prior to the movie's release and instructed journalists to not mention it.[42]

References

  1. ^ "The Drama (15)". BBFC. March 10, 2026. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  2. ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (March 31, 2026). "Box Office: 'Super Mario Galaxy Movie' Aims for $180 Million or More Domestically, $350 Million-Plus Globally". Variety. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  3. ^ a b "The Drama". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  4. ^ "The Drama – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  5. ^ Dargis, Manohla (April 2, 2026). "The Drama Review: Her Secret Is His Crisis". The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  6. ^ Starkey, Glen; Starkey, Anna (April 9, 2026). "The Drama is a cringe-inducing black comedy ride through premarital jitters". New Times. San Luis Obispo. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  7. ^ Murphy, Chris (April 3, 2026). "All the Drama Around Zendaya and Robert Pattinson's The Drama, Explained". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  8. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (April 5, 2026). "Box Office: Super Mario Galaxy Movie Ignites to Blockbuster $190 Million, The Drama Impresses With $14 Million Debut". Variety. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  9. ^ a b c d Weidenfeld, Lisa (December 9, 2025). "New details about Robert Pattinson and Zendaya's The Drama revealed in mock engagement story in Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  10. ^ Sarkar, Ishani (March 20, 2026). "Meet Jack Lemmon's granddaughter Sydney, who plays Lauren Bessette in Love Story". South China Morning Post. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  11. ^ Giandurco, Jillian (February 9, 2026). "Anna Baryshnikov on Idiotka, Working with Julia Fox and What She Learned from Kristen Stewart". Nylon. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  12. ^ Cortez, Jonnalyn (February 26, 2026). "Zendaya and Robert Pattinson's The Drama: Everything You Need to Know". Epicstream. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  13. ^ Kroll, Justin (August 5, 2024). "Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in Early Talks to Star in A24's The Drama from Dream Scenario Director Kristoffer Borgli". Deadline. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  14. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 16, 2024). "Mamoudou Athie Joins Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in The Drama for A24". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  15. ^ Singh, Sartaj (September 11, 2024). "Zendaya and Robert Pattinson's The Drama Begins Filming in the UK in October". The CinemaHolic. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  16. ^ Sullivan, Mike; Mutasa, Tammy (November 6, 2024). "Zendaya, Robert Pattinson in Boston to film new movie The Drama". CBS News. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  17. ^ a b c d Burns, Alexandra Jhamb (April 3, 2026). "Where Was The Drama Filmed? A Look at the Boston Locations for the Unconventional Rom-Com". Condé Nast Traveller. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  18. ^ a b Andriotis, Mary Elizabeth (April 3, 2026). "All of the Filming Locations Featured in Robert Pattinson and Zendaya's The Drama". Elle Decor. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  19. ^ Blackwood, Emily (February 5, 2026). "All About Zendaya and Robert Pattinson's Romance Movie The Drama (Including a Look at the First Trailer!)". People. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  20. ^ "Fastlane NextGen: Initial Certification Search" (Type "the drama" in the search box). Louisiana Economic Development. January 29, 2025. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  21. ^ Kristoffer Borgli [@kristogger]; (February 6, 2025). "WRAP". Retrieved April 6, 2026 – via Instagram.
  22. ^ a b c Murr, Adrienne (April 2, 2026). "All of the Damning Details of Everyday Dress you Might've Missed in The Drama". The Set Set. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  23. ^ a b Murr, Adrienne (April 3, 2026). "Breaking Down Zendaya's Wedding Dress Look in The Drama". The Set Set. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  24. ^ "Daniel Pemberton Scoring Kristoffer Borgli's The Drama". Film Music Reporter. January 9, 2026. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  25. ^ Pilley, Max (April 4, 2026). "Every song on The Drama soundtrack". NME. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  26. ^ Denis, Kyle (April 8, 2026). "The Drama Music Supervisor Talks Alicia Keys Needle Drop, Working with Zendaya & the Soundtrack's 'Old-Fashioned Whimsy'". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  27. ^ Chuba, Kirsten (March 18, 2026). "Zendaya Watched All of the 'Twilight' Movies for the First Time Before Working with Robert Pattinson on The Drama: 'I Enjoyed Myself'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  28. ^ Murphy, Kim J. (October 17, 2025). "Zendaya and Robert Pattinson's Rom-Com The Drama Sets April Release Date from A24". Variety. Archived from the original on January 16, 2026. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  29. ^ McGowan, Andrew (December 10, 2025). "The Drama Trailer: Zendaya and Robert Pattinson Are Getting Married and Losing Their Minds in A24 Dark Comedy". Variety. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  30. ^ The Drama | Official Teaser HD | A24. YouTube. December 10, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  31. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 2, 2026) [April 1, 2026]. "Super Mario Galaxy Movie Dashing to $188M+ 5-Day; Zendaya & Robert Pattinson's The Drama Eyes $13M – Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  32. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (April 12, 2026). "Box Office: 'Super Mario Galaxy Movie' Scores $68 Million in Second Weekend, 'You, Me and Tuscany' Opens to $8 Million". Variety. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  33. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 21, 2026). "Zendaya & Robert Pattinson A24 Pic 'The Drama' Seduces The World With $100M – Box Office". Retrieved April 22, 2026.
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  35. ^ "The Drama". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
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  37. ^ Johnson, G. Allen (March 31, 2026). "Review: Zendaya commands The Drama, a provocative film built to spark debate". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  38. ^ Magidson, Joey (March 31, 2026). "Film Review: The Drama Has a Game Zendaya and Robert Pattinson But Can't Sustain the Comedic Momentum". Awards Radar. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  39. ^ Gemmell, Nikki (April 4–5, 2026). "Zendaya new film The Drama's twist is a repulsive, one star mess [print: An ugly 'comedy']". Culture. The Australian. p. 17. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  40. ^ Henderson, Odie (March 31, 2026). "The Boston-based dark comedy 'The Drama' stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. Our critic gave it zero stars". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  41. ^ Hamedy, Saba (April 3, 2026). "The Drama courts controversy over major plot twist". NBC News. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  42. ^ "Parkland Survivor Jackie Corin on The Drama and Her Concerns About Casting Zendaya and Robert Pattinson". The Hollywood Reporter. April 3, 2026. Retrieved April 6, 2026.