Swan Song, which will star Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali, has received a release date. In addition to Ali, the film will also feature Glenn Close, Naomie Harris, Awkwafina, and Adam Beach.
Swan Song will debut both in theaters and globally on Apple TV+ later this year on Friday, December 17.
Here’s a synopsis of the Benjamin Cleary-directed film, as provided by Apple TV+:
“Set in the near future, Swan Song is a powerful, emotional journey told through the eyes of Cameron (Mahershala Ali), a loving husband and father diagnosed with a terminal illness who is presented with an alternative solution by his doctor (Glenn Close) to shield his family from grief. As Cam grapples with whether or not to alter his family’s fate, he learns more about life and love than he ever imagined. Swan Song explores how far we will go, and how much we’re willing to sacrifice, to make a happier life for the people we love.”
Cleary, who also wrote the film, spoke to Deadline about the forthcoming project.
“This started as a premise I had ten years ago I’d stuck in a drawer, and then five years with the script, and when Mahershala’s name came up, I was like, ‘can we even get him to just read it? He did, and we sat down and it became one of those conversations you sometimes have, where each minute you feel more energized and inspired,” Cleary said. “I could see within minutes I was sitting across from someone special, who was completely tuned into the heart of the script. After two hours, he said, ‘I’d love to do this.’ We were delayed six months by Covid, and we used that time to speak about all the elements, and he had such a beautiful way of discovering all these little things within the story.”
Ali, who is serving as a producer on the movie, also spoke to the publication.
“After I committed, it just seemed like so many of us were processing our mortality and it spoke to me in such a strong way because I had never seen anything quite like this one before and I was excited to wrestle with the character’s dilemma on a daily basis,” the actor said. “It felt more purposeful and worthy of being in the world because we do live in such sensitive times, when so many of us have experienced losing people in a way that feels unnatural. The themes the film brings up that the character has to process, are things that so many of are having to process, either closely or by a degree or two of separation, when people were passing away.”
