Mother Mary (2026): A24’s Next Big Melodrama — Plot, Cast, Release Date & Everything You Need to Know

If there’s one studio that knows how to haunt your mind, crack open your emotions, and leave you whispering, “What did I just watch?”… it’s A24. And in Spring 2026, they’re aiming straight for your heart with Mother Mary — a sweeping, operatic melodrama from visionary filmmaker David Lowery.

Starring a powerhouse duo — Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel — this film is already being called one of A24’s most anticipated releases in years. A story about art, friendship, betrayal, and the impossible pressure of living under the world’s microscope, Mother Mary has the early markings of a cultural moment waiting to happen.

This is your full breakdown: the plot, cast, themes, and why film lovers are already treating Mother Mary like sacred text.

🎤 What Is Mother Mary About?

At its core, Mother Mary is a story about two women whose lives were once intertwined through art — until time, ambition, and pain pulled them apart.

The Official Premise

A pop icon named Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway), long adored for her ethereal voice and boundary-pushing performances, reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer, Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel) on the night before her high-stakes comeback.

What begins as an artistic collaboration spirals into:

• buried resentments

• emotional warfare

• ego clashes

• grief

• and the dangerous intimacy that comes from creating art with someone who knows you too well

This isn’t a music biopic.

It’s a character study.

A volcanic, stylish, emotionally surgical descent into fame, friendship, and the masks we hide behind.

This is A24—don’t expect clean answers or easy resolution. Expect impact.

🌙 The Vision Behind Mother Mary

The mind behind this film? David Lowery — the filmmaker who can make even silence feel mythological.

You’ve seen his emotional fingerprints in:

• A Ghost Story

• The Green Knight

• Pete’s Dragon

• Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

Lowery doesn’t just make films. He makes experiences.

In Mother Mary, he’s crafting what early insiders describe as:

• “an epic melodrama”

• “a modern operatic tragedy”

• “A24’s boldest swing since Black Swan” (unofficial, but the comparison keeps popping up)

He blends aesthetics with emotion in ways that feel dreamlike, surreal, and painfully human.

With a cast like this?

He’s about to break hearts worldwide.

🌟 The All-Star Cast of Mother Mary

A24 didn’t play around with this cast. It’s stacked, multigenerational, and wildly exciting.

Anne Hathaway — Mother Mary

She’s not just acting — she’s transforming.

This is her biggest dramatic swing since Les Misérables.

Expect:

• obsession

• vulnerability

• pop-star spectacle

• emotional volatility

• career-best acting

Michaela Coel — Sam Anselm

The Emmy winner behind I May Destroy You takes on a role full of fire and psychological depth.

She’s the emotional anchor.

She’s the storm.

She’s the wound that never fully closed.

Supporting Cast

• Hunter Schafer

• Kaia Gerber

• Jessica Brown Findlay

• Alba Baptista

• Isaura Barbé-Brown

• Sian Clifford

• Atheena Frizzell

• FKA Twigs

Yes—FKA Twigs is in this. Yes—she may or may not be singing. No—your heart will not survive.

This cast is elegant, chaotic, bold, and emotionally fearless. Exactly what A24 needs.

✨ What Makes Mother Mary One of 2026’s Most Anticipated Films?

1. A24 + David Lowery = A Cinematic Event

His films linger.

They echo.

They aren’t watched—they’re absorbed.

Lowery working with A24 on a melodrama is like watching a painter go wild with colour for the first time.

2. Anne Hathaway in a Role Built to Break Her Open

Hathaway excels when she plays characters cracked in half by fame and pressure.

This is that role.

Her character is described as:

• glamorous

• dangerous

• lonely

• brilliant

• unraveling

This is the type of performance that award campaigns are built.

3. Michaela Coel’s First Major Hollywood Drama

Coel doesn’t take roles lightly. If she signed on, the script must be explosive.

Expect power.

Expect pain.

Expect emotional warfare.

4. A Story About Fame, Art & Toxic Dependence

The relationship between artist and designer…creator and muse…friend and betrayer…

It’s fertile ground for:

• passion

• jealousy

• guilt

• manipulation

• devotion

Think A Star Is Born meets Black Swan with A24’s signature surrealism.

5. A24’s Reputation

A24 fans don’t just watch movies.

They obsess over them.

Mother Mary has all the makings of their next cult classic.

🎬 Release Date: When Does Mother Mary Come Out?

A24 has confirmed:

📅 Mother Mary — In Theatres Spring 2026

(but the exact date is still TBA)

This will be a theatrical-first release — so expect:

• IMAX showings

• festival premieres

• heavy buzz

• early critical hype

A24 does not drop a film like this quietly.

🎶 Will Mother Mary Have Original Music?

Yes. While details are still under wraps, sources confirm:

• the film features original songs

• Anne Hathaway performs as a pop star

• the soundtrack blends avant-pop, alt-R&B, and synth-driven meltdown energy

This could be A24’s next iconic soundtrack after Hereditary, Euphoria, and Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Expect album-level emotional devastation.

🔥 Final Take: Mother Mary Might Be A24’s Next Masterpiece

Everything about Mother Mary screams event cinema:

• A24 at its boldest

• A director known for emotional mythmaking

• A lead actress in full transformation mode

• A story about fame, identity, trauma, and artistic intimacy

• A cast stacked with some of the most compelling talents of the decade

If you love character-driven dramas that punch holes through your chest, Mother Mary might end up being the film of 2026.

Get ready — the church of A24 is opening its doors again.