Interview With The "Power Ballad" Filmmaker John Carney

"Power Ballad" is a 2026 musical comedy-drama film directed and co-written by John Carney, starring Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Havana Rose Liu, and Jack Reynor. The film tells the story of Rick Power (Rudd), a wedding singer, who meets washed-up former boy band singer Danny Wilson (Jonas) at a wedding one night and bonds over a jam session. After the jam session, Danny steals one of Rick's songs, and it becomes a number-one hit. This brings Danny back into the spotlight, leading Rick to seek revenge and recognition. The film had its world premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival and has received positive reviews for its two performances, Carney's direction, and, of course, the music. Carney was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Lionsgate and will expand to more theaters on June 5th. Thank you, and enjoy!

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