Dear Evan Hansen, the Ben Platt movie musical will make its world premiere at the 46th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), alongside other highly anticipated films like Last Night in Soho and Belfast.
TIFF is back in person this year after going virtual in 2020 due to the global pandemic and opens Thursday, September 9, the festival announced Tuesday.
Dear Evan Hansen, the highly anticipated awards hopeful, will see Ben Platt reprise his Tony-winning title role alongside Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Dever and Amandla Stenberg.
“There was no question that Dear Evan Hansen was the ideal film to launch the festival this year,” said Cameron Bailey, the artistic director and cohead of TIFF. “This film is ultimately about healing, forgiveness, and reaffirms how connected and essential we all are to one another. We couldn’t think of a more important idea to celebrate this year as we come together once again to share the power and joy of cinema in theaters together.”
“TIFF continues to work closely with the province of Ontario, the city of Toronto, and public health officials on the safe execution of the festival, with its number one priority being the health and well-being of both festival filmgoers and residents of the community,” reads a statement from the press release.
The 46th TIFF ends on September 18, 2021.Clifford the Big Red Dog will also premiere at TIFF. Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho, starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jessie Mei Li, and Matt Smith, will screen at TIFF too, as will Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, featuring Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, and Jude Hill. Recent Cannes jury member Mélanie Laurent’s film The Mad Women’s Ball (Le Bal des folles) will also make its world premiere at the festival, as will Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Levinson’s latest film, The Survivor. The closing-night film will be Zhang Yimou’s One Second, making its North American debut.