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Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon Opens in Select Theaters With Ethan Hawke’s Standout Turn

Years in the making, the one-night Sardi’s character study arrives to strong reviews, with Hawke’s performance a focal point.

Overview

  • Blue Moon begins its theatrical rollout via Sony Pictures Classics on October 17 in select cities, with a wider opening set for October 24.
  • The film confines its action to Sardi’s on the night Oklahoma! opens, presenting a dialogue-driven portrait of lyricist Lorenz Hart over a single evening.
  • Critics widely praise Ethan Hawke’s transformed performance, while some note a sluggish, complaint-heavy opening stretch and raise questions about cultural authenticity in casting.
  • Linklater and writer Robert Kaplow developed the project over more than a decade, building a Sardi’s replica in Dublin and using practical tricks and makeup to reduce Hawke’s stature.
  • The supporting cast features Andrew Scott as Richard Rodgers, Margaret Qualley as Elizabeth Weiland and Bobby Cannavale as the bartender, following a Berlinale premiere that helped spur early awards-season chatter.