Few actors have had a better 2024 than Josh O’Connor.
Many of us first got to know him through his gorgeous work in 2017’s gay romantic drama God’s Own Country, but he’s really leveled up this year, from the sexy tennis court threeway of Challengers to the grave-robbing & soul-searching indie La Chimera.
On top of that, he’s lined up exciting roles in the next Knives Out mystery, a Steven Spielberg blockbuster, an upcoming Luca Guadagnino film, and another gay romantic drama opposite Paul Mescal called The History Of Sound. O’Connor just might be Hollywood’s next great leading man.
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Could he be Hollywood’s next great writer, too?
We’ll soon find out now that the coming-of-age rom-com Bonus Track—which the star co-wrote with his friend Mike Gilbert—is coming to U.S. theaters.
From director Julia Jackman (who’s helming the upcoming queer fantasy 100 Nights Of Hero), the film takes us back to small-town England in 2006 where shy teen George (1917‘s Joe Anders) is just trying to get through his final year of school while daydreaming about music superstardom.
Of course, everyone in his life—from his doting parents (Smash‘s Jack Davenport & Fantastic Beasts‘ Alison Sudol) to his music teacher (Colette‘s Ray Panthaki)—is eager to remind George that those dreams might not come true if he can’t manage to score passing grades in his classes.
Then one day, his entire school is abuzz when a new student enrolls, Max (Game Of Thrones‘ Samuel Paul Small) who just so happens to be the son of an über-famous and successful music duo.
With their shared love of music, the two form a quick bond, and George even convinces Max to write and perform a song with him in the school talent show. But the more they work together, the more George finds himself daydreaming about something else entirely: Spending time with Max.
O’Connor even shows up for what looks to be a fun against-type role, playing a face-tatted guy named Jonno who’s maybe a little too eager to give George his first piercing… on his eyebrow.
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WATCH: Josh O’Connor’s gay rom-com is giving ‘Heartstopper,’ but make it musical
The British coming-of-age love story was co-written by the ‘Challengers’ star & features an original song from Olly Alexander.
From the first blushes of young love to the whole prep-school thing, Bonus Track is definitely giving us some major Heartstopper vibes—which is not a bad thing!—right on down to electrifying pop soundtrack.
But the main difference here is that the music plays a key role in the narrative, and at least one of the movie’s original numbers was penned and performed by none other than former Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander. It’s not immediately clear if his song is the one George and Max “write” together in the movie, but we get to hear a snippet of it in the trailer, and it sounds like a total bop!
Bonus Track first premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in 2023, and premiered in the U.K. earlier this year, and now its finally coming to U.S. theaters on October 11—National Coming Out Day!—courtesy of Sunrise Films & Vertigo Releasing.
Catch the official trailer for Bonus Track below—and try not to have that Olly Alexander song stuck in your head all day after!:
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Josh O’Connor & a major A-lister are lining up queer new roles with director Luca Guadagnino
We’re starting to get concerned with the ‘Call Me By Your Name’ director’s busy schedule.
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