AceShowbiz - John Carney, the filmmaker renowned for his music-centered movies such as Once and Sing Street, is returning to theaters with his latest project, Power Ballad. Known for exploring the lives and struggles of musicians, Carney continues his unique cinematic approach by focusing on characters shaped by their relationship to music.

Carney calls himself a “failed band guy” turned filmmaker, having shifted his creative passion from performing to telling stories about musicians. His breakout film Once, about an Irish busker and a Czech pianist collaborating on music, earned an Academy Award for Best Original Song and established him as a distinct voice in musical cinema. Subsequent films like Begin Again, Sing Street, and Flora and Son have further explored themes of second chances, youthful ambition, and healing through music.

Power Ballad will be released in a limited run starting May 29, with a national rollout scheduled for June 5. The film was inspired by a real-life encounter Carney had with a man in a Dublin suburb. The man, a father in his forties, was loading his daughter into the family car while carrying a guitar and wearing leather boots. To Carney, this man “had the walk of a rock star, but like a rock star for whom it hadn’t happened.”

Reflecting on this figure, Carney remarked to The Hollywood Reporter, “He was just this guy who does what every writer is looking for—throwing a ton of questions at you that you need to answer. When did he say, ‘I’m okay with not being Bono?’” This question became central to the film’s narrative.

With co-writer Peter McDonald, Carney created the character Rick, a former touring rocker who settled down in Dublin after meeting the love of his life. Rick now fronts a moderately successful wedding band and balances family life with a lingering sense of unfulfilled ambition. Though content, he wrestles with the feeling that his career and life did not reach their full potential.

The film introduces Danny, a former boy band star navigating his own creative crossroads. Danny is a globally popular solo artist attempting to redefine his career after his boy band fame. The two men’s paths cross during an alcohol-fueled jam session, where Danny transforms one of Rick’s songs into a chart-topping hit. This sets Rick off on a journey to reclaim the credit he believes he deserves.

Carney found the contrast between Rick’s quiet acceptance and Danny’s high-profile success to be a compelling storytelling device. “I thought it was really interesting to meet a younger version of yourself and to give that person advice and to tell them what you had learned,” he said. “But, the funny thing is, the person that you’re talking to is doing better than you.”

Paul Rudd was attached early on to portray Rick. For the role of Danny, Carney sought an actor with genuine musical credibility. “Paul playing a singer in Ireland is already a slight push, but it’s one that the audience will allow,” Carney explained. “I can’t ask them to do it twice.”

The director acknowledged the difficulty of casting an actor who could convincingly embody a musician who has reached the highest levels of success. He noted a previous film (unnamed) where an actor’s portrayal of a boy band star felt inauthentic despite the actor’s talent. “Clearly, this actor was acting out what it was like to be a boy-band guy. And he was a good actor! So, it wasn’t that,” Carney said.

Ultimately, Carney found the ideal fit in Nick Jonas, whose own experience as a member of the hugely successful pop rock group Jonas Brothers gave him an authenticity few actors could match. “Nick Jonas has an inner working that’s going on all the time. He’s inscrutable,” Carney said. “He brings a certain kind of mysterious, enigmatic reality and truth to the character that we really needed.”

Despite Carney’s enthusiasm, there was initial skepticism about casting Jonas. Some in Ireland viewed the Jonas Brothers as somewhat of a novelty act, and others worried that his star power might overshadow the film. “A lot of people in Ireland did think that there’s something a little bit novelty about the Jonas Brothers. European audiences are a little bit more precious,” Carney explained.

However, once filming began in Dublin, it became clear that Jonas was the perfect choice. “Nick played this character really small. He didn’t come in going, ‘Hey, I’m the boy band guy!’ Then you realize that’s what those guys—those superstars who’ve been famous since they were seven years old—have. It’s quiet,” Carney said. “He wants to go and play golf and have a nice whiskey and talk about the part and go to bed early and call his daughter and his wife. That’s what being a massive boy band star is like, really.”

The film premiered in the United States at SXSW in March, where critics praised Jonas’ performance. The Hollywood Reporter’s review noted, “You don’t have to be familiar with Jonas’ actual career as a pop star to be dazzled by Danny’s innate magnetism.”

Throughout Power Ballad, audience sympathies shift between Rick, who is determined to reclaim recognition for his work, and Danny, who seeks artistic legitimacy beyond his boy band fame. Carney remarked on this dynamic, saying, “Nobody is fully the person that they wanted to be in a way. Actually, except rock stars.”

The film’s trailer showcases the chemistry between Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas as Rick and Danny, highlighting the bittersweet, music-driven drama at the heart of the story.

Power Ballad promises to continue John Carney’s tradition of heartfelt, music-infused storytelling that examines the dreams, disappointments, and redemptions found in the lives of musicians.