The Oscar-winning actress plays a professor caught in a storm of accusation and reckoning in the prestige drama already generating serious awards buzz.
CinemaCon 2025 got a gripping early glimpse at one of this year’s most hotly anticipated prestige dramas — Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt, starring Julia Roberts in what the director claims is “the best performance” of her career.
Unveiled to global theater owners at Caesars Palace, the film’s first footage captivated the audience with its unsettling tension, provocative themes, and razor-sharp performances, placing it firmly in the early Oscar conversation.
🎓 A Tale of Accusation, Power, and Personal Reckoning
Set in the world of academia, After the Hunt follows Roberts as a college professor whose life begins to unravel when a star student (played by Ayo Edebiri) accuses a colleague (Andrew Garfield) of sexual misconduct. As the scandal spreads, a buried secret from the professor’s own past threatens to resurface.
“I’m no longer comfortable having this conversation with you,” Edebiri says during a high-tension confrontation.
“Not everything is supposed to make you comfortable,” Roberts shoots back — a moment that drew audible gasps from the crowd.
The trailer teases a narrative filled with moral complexity, conflicting loyalties, and devastating revelations. Guadagnino paints a sharp picture of elite academic circles, with Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloe Sevigny adding flavor as privileged colleagues circling the unraveling storm.
Roberts sports a striking shock-blonde look, portraying a brilliant but conflicted woman grappling with the ethics of truth and self-preservation, while Garfield’s former lover character skates a dangerous emotional edge.
🏆 Awards Watch Begins
Guadagnino, addressing the crowd, said he was “extremely proud” of what he shared — and industry insiders expect to hear that sentiment repeated throughout the festival and awards season.
The film is produced by Imagine Entertainment and Frensey Film Company, with a powerhouse team behind the scenes: Brian Grazer, Luca Guadagnino, Jeb Brody, and Allan Mandelbaum producing, and Karen Lunder, Justin Wilkes, Alice Dawson, and Nora Garrett executive producing.
With its potent mix of timely themes and powerhouse talent, After the Hunt looks poised to dominate critical conversations in 2025.