What You Need To Know About Robert De Niro’s New Dramedy (2024)

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  • Does 'Ezra' Have a Release Date?

  • Where Can You Watch 'Ezra'?

  • Watch the Trailer for 'Ezra'

  • Who Stars in 'Ezra'?

  • What Is 'Ezra' About?

  • Who Is Making 'Ezra'?

  • Other Father-Son Stories Like 'Ezra' You Can Watch Right Now

A struggling father and his beloved son are going on a life-changing road trip in the new dramedy, Ezra. Directed by Tony Goldwyn, Ezra follows Max Bernaal (Bobby Cannavale) - a stand-up comedian who is struggling to make ends meet, and a divorced dad trying to give his son, Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald), the best life he can. Ezra is on the autism spectrum, and Max is sick and tired of people telling him what his son can and can't do. When his agent tells Max that he's been booked on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Max decides to take his son with him on a cross-country road trip, even if his father and ex-wife advise against it.

Ezra had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023 and has since generated pretty positive buzz among critics. Collider's own Nate Richard had the opportunity to see the film at TIFF and had strong praise for the film, particularly praising the performances and dynamics of Bobby Cannavale and William Fitzgerald. To find out more about the upcoming film, as well as its cast, trailer, release date, and more, here is everything we know so far about Ezra.

What You Need To Know About Robert De Niro’s New Dramedy (1)
Ezra (2023)

R

Comedy

Ezra centers on comedian Max co-parenting autistic son Ezra with ex-wife Jenna. Faced with crucial decisions about Ezra's future, Max and Ezra go on a life-changing cross-country road trip.

Release Date
October 1, 2023
Director
Tony Goldwyn
Cast
Robert De Niro , Rose Byrne , Vera Farmiga , Rainn Wilson , Bobby Cannavale , Whoopi Goldberg , Daphne Rubin-Vega , Matilda Lawler

Runtime
100 Minutes

Main Genre
Comedy

Writers
Tony Spiridakis

Read Our Review

Does 'Ezra' Have a Release Date?

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Max and Ezra's impromptu father-son road trip begins when Ezraofficially releases in theaters this Summer on Friday, May 31, 2024.

Where Can You Watch 'Ezra'?

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Ezra will be released exclusively in theaters once it arrives at the end of May. May is continuously a busy month for theatrical films, and this May is no exception. The release calendar for May 2024 includes the critically acclaimed action reboot The Fall Guy, the sci-fi epic Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, John Krasinski's imaginary friend movie IF, the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and the Chris Pratt-led animated film The Garfield Movie, just to name a few.

Watch the Trailer for 'Ezra'

In a fairly clever marketing move, Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered the main trailer for Ezra on March 11th, 2024, which makes perfect sense given how the film revolves around someone trying to get on that very same show. Max's life isn't picturesque and perfect. He just had a divorce from a woman he loves, he's currently living with his father, and his son is having problems at school. Max sees a chance for a big break when his agent tells him that Jimmy Kimmel Live! wants to book him for an appearance. While the easy solution would probably be to take a plane to LA, Max instead decides to take his son on a life-changing road trip.

Who Stars in 'Ezra'?

Leading the cast of Ezra is two-time Emmy-winner Bobby Cannavale the star of Ant-Man, Blue Jasmine, and more. While frequently cast in comedies, Cannavale has proven time and time again that he is a stellar dramatic performer as well. One of those many examples is The Irishman, and Cannavale will also be reuniting with his co-star in that film, Robert De Niro, for Ezra. The legendary actor will be playing Max's somewhat condescending but still well-meaning father. Other notable names in the cast are Bridesmaids star Rose Byrne, The Office star Rainn Wilson, Up in the Air star Vera Farmiga, and Sister Act star Whoopi Goldberg. Director Tony Goldwyn also appears in the film. Playing Ezra is William A. Fitzgerald, who is making their acting debut with the film.

Also in the cast are Daphne Rubin-Vega (In the Heights), Matilda Lawler (The Santa Clauses), Tess Goldwyn (Better Nate Than Ever), Joe Pacheco (The Morning Show), Lois Robbins (The Virgin of Highland Park), and Jackson Frazer (Outsiders).

What Is 'Ezra' About?

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The official plot synopsis of Ezra reads as follows:

"EZRA follows Max Bernal (Bobby Cannavale), a stand-up comedian living with his father (Robert De Niro), while struggling to co-parent his autistic son Ezra (introducing William Fitzgerald) with his ex-wife (Rose Byrne). When forced to confront difficult decisions about their son’s future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives. Directed by Tony Goldwyn, who also appears in the film alongside additional cast members Vera Farmiga, Rainn Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg, EZRA is an endearing and often funny exploration of a family determined to find their way through life’s complexities with humor, compassion, and heart.

Who Is Making 'Ezra'?

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Ezra is directed by Tony Goldwyn, who many may recognize for his acting work in films like The Belko Experiment, King Richard, and Oppenheimer. In addition to his acting work, Goldwyn as a long history in feature film and television directing, having previously worked on acclaimed shows like Grey's Anatomy, Dexter, and more. The screenplay for Ezra was penned by Queens Logic scribe Tony Spiridakis.

Ezra also features music by Carlos Rafael Rivera (The Queen's Gambit), cinematography by Daniel Moder (Dead to Me), editing by Sabine Hoffman (Passing), production design by Dan Leigh (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), and art direction by Susan Block (Welcome to the Dollhouse).

Other Father-Son Stories Like 'Ezra' You Can Watch Right Now

'Chef' (2014)

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A heartwarming allegory for a beloved filmmaker's career, Jon Favreau's Chef is about more than just food. Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) was once one of the most respected and praised chefs in Los Angeles until a bad review from a critic caused him to snap. As a new venture, Carl starts up his own food truck, with the help of his young son who he wishes to become much closer.

Watch on Starz

'Big Daddy' (1999)

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"Emotional" isn't always the first thing one thinks of when an Adam Sandler comedy comes to mind, but Big Daddy sets itself apart from other Happy Madison stories for its likable father-son story. Deadbeat law school graduate Sonny Koufax (Adam Sandler) is trying to win back his girlfriend. He comes up with the radical solution of adopting a child to show her he can be responsible and mature. While his intentions may not have been pure, the bond he ends up making with his adopted son ends up changing him for the better.

Watch on Hulu

'Real Steel' (2011)

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Real Steel isn't like other father-son stories, and that's mainly because it has giant boxing robots. Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) was once a legendary boxing champion but lost that career when human-on-human boxing was entirely scrapped in favor of the far more popular robotic boxing. The last thing he thinks he needs is to take care of his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo), but the two's bond begins to change when Max stumbles upon a special sparring bot named Atom.

Rent on Prime Video

What You Need To Know About Robert De Niro’s New Dramedy (2024)
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