THE ROOM NEXT DOOR Trailer 2 (2024) Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR Trailer 2 (2024) Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR Trailer 2 (2024) Julianne Moore, Tilda Swintonn, Pedro Almodóvar
© 2024 - Warner Bros Pictures

"His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe..." The beloved Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar is back once again at the 2024 Venice Film Festival with his latest feature film titled The Room Next Door. Officially it is his first-ever entirely English-language feature-length film (though his two shorts recently The Human Voice and Strange Way of Life were also English). This doesn't really change much except that his usual exceptionally fast Spanish dialogue has been replaced by somewhat slower English dialogue. Though when that dialogue is spoken by two irrefutable masters of acting, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, there's really nothing to worry about. They each know how to handle their roles precisely and gracefully, taking us along on an endearing story starring as two old friends. The Room Next Door is actually quite different from many of Almodóvar's previous films, which is why many viewers won't be into as much, while others may find themselves more connected with what he has come up with this time.

The Room Next Door is both written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, and takes place mostly in New York City until the two friends move to a beautiful cabin in the woods somewhere in upstate New York. It's based on the novel "What Are You Going Through" by Sigrid Nunez, although it seems to be less of an adaptation and more of an "inspired by" reference. Julianne Moore stars as Ingrid, a successful novel writer who has just published her latest book, which is about death and how afraid of it she is. While in NYC, she's told that her old friend Martha, played by Tilda Swinton, has cancer and isn't doing well. So she visits her and they reconnect and begin reminiscing about life - about the past and present. Martha then tells her about a plan and invites Ingrid to participate in this plan despite her initial hesitation, and off we go with them as they embark on a trip up into the woods to a stunningly beautiful, massive, expensive cabin. As is always the case with Almodóvar, the set design is spectacularly colorful and inviting, and the cinematography is sumptuous and warm. This always makes every Almodóvar so watchable and approachable no matter what the story is.

As far as I can tell from this film, it seems that Almodóvar is grumpy & frustrated at the world but still made a beautifully angry elegant film about appreciating the magic & goodness of friendship no matter how dark it gets out there. It's an especially poetic and rather simplistic film (at least compared to the more complex & twisted narratives in his other films) that features a handful of great "we're so fucked" lines but twists the expected depression into happiness and joy at the end of life, as death approaches. The focus is entirely on Tilda Swinton & Julianne Moore's humble friendship. Strangely, though it is a relief to see every once in a while, there's no big twists with their relationship that are revealed. No she betrayed her, or this was a lie, or actually this or that. The more time they spend together, the more they really respect and love each other. It feels like something Almodóvar himself experienced in real life while reconnecting with an old friend, and the warmth of that friendship brought him great joy in the midst of his concerns with the world going to shit and people getting older & dying. We need more joy & more empathy no matter what's going on in our lives.

One final note is that the film's narrative is mainly about Martha dying, but it also seems to be a metaphor for climate change. There are multiple conversations about climate change and how humanity is awful and how we can't stop what is coming. But it's about how we shouldn't be all doom & gloom about this, we must live as happily as we can as long as we can until the end comes. It's getting mixed reviews and some critics seem to be missing this point? I quite like that it seems Almodovar had a revelation in the last few years and started to recognize the world dying and had to grapple with that by making such a sweet new movie about friends. I'm glad he tried something different, I'm happy that he still wanted to show us a world filled with beauty and goodness in it. This might be a nice film to recommend to viewers who aren't exactly the biggest fans of Pedro Almodóvar already, though I do think with more time and a rewatch, these existing fans will warm up to it more. There's no denying the lovely performances from Swinton & Moore make it worthwhile.
The Room Next Door

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
Written by Pedro Almodóvar
Based on What Are You Going Through
by Sigrid Nunez
Produced by
Agustín Almodóvar
Esther García
Starring
Tilda Swinton
Julianne Moore
John Turturro
Alessandro Nivola
Cinematography Edu Grau
Edited by Teresa Font
Music by Alberto Iglesias
Production
company
El Deseo
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
2 September 2024 (Venice)
18 October 2024 (Spain)
Running time 106 minutes
Country Spain
Language English
The Room Next Door (Spanish: La habitación de al lado) is a 2024 Spanish drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar in his English-language full-length debut, based on the novel What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez.[1] Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore star, with John Turturro and Alessandro Nivola in supporting roles.

The film premiered on 2 September 2024 at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where it was awarded with the Golden Lion, a first for a Spanish film.[2] It is scheduled to be released theatrically in Spain on 18 October 2024, by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Plot
The plot deals with the rift between Martha, a very imperfect mother and war correspondent, and her resentful daughter, as well as with the former's relationship with author Ingrid.[3][4]

Cast
Tilda Swinton as Martha[3]
Julianne Moore as Ingrid[3]
John Turturro as Damian[5]
Alessandro Nivola[6]
Juan Diego Botto[6]
Melina Matthews[6]
Raúl Arévalo[6]
Victoria Luengo[6]
Esther McGregor[7]
Alex Høgh Andersen[7]
Alvise Rigo[7]
Production
Almodóvar talked about plans to shoot an English-language film set in New York City on the eve of his trip to the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.[8] The title The Room Next Door was advertised in late 2023.[9] In January 2024, El Deseo announced that Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton had been cast in the lead roles, with John Turturro as another cast member.[4] Swinton described the film as "a natural successor, strangely, to Pain and Glory".[10] The film is an El Deseo production with the participation of Movistar Plus+.[11] Filming began on 3 March 2024 in Madrid.[3] Alessandro Nivola joined the cast that same month.[12] Shooting locations also included New York City.[13] On 12 June 2024, Juan Diego Botto, Raúl Arévalo, Melina Matthews, and Victoria Luengo were announced as additional cast members.[14] Edu Grau was the film's cinematographer.[15]

Release

Swinton, Almodóvar, and Moore at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
In advance of the start of production, Almodóvar's recurring North American distributor Sony Pictures Classics picked up rights to the film in North America, the Middle East, India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.[16]

The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in Spain on 18 October 2024 by Warner Bros. Pictures.[6] Warner Bros. also acquired distribution rights for the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe (excluding Poland), Latin America and some territories in Asia-Pacific, including Japan.[17] It will be made available on Movistar Plus+ in Spain after its theatrical window.[18]

In July 2024, the film was reportedly likely to premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival;[19] this was confirmed a week later, with the film announced to be premiering in competition.[20] Alberto Barbera reported that the film was premiering during the festival's second half.[21] The film was also selected for screenings at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (for its North American premiere),[22] and the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival (as a 'Donostia Award' screening),[23] as well as for the Centerpiece selection of the 62nd New York Film Festival at the Alice Tully Hall on 4 October 2024 (for its U.S. premiere).[1]

It is scheduled to open theatrically in New York City and Los Angeles on 20 December 2024, followed by a limited release in select US cities on Christmas Day, and a January 2025 wide US release.[24]

Reception

Pedro Almodóvar holding the Golden Lion won by The Room Next Door at the Venice International Film Festival
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 48 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10.[25] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[26]

Stephanie Zacharek of Time wrote that "if it's possible to make a joyful movie about death, Almodóvar has just done it".[27]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety assessed that Swinton "gives a monumental performance", "worthy of comparison to the spirit and virtuosity of Vanessa Redgrave".[28]

Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph lamented that the result of Almodóvar's anglophone feature debut is "depressingly thin".[29]

Accolades
Award Ceremony date Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Venice International Film Festival 7 September 2024 Golden Lion The Room Next Door Won [30]
Brian Award Won [31][32]
See also
List of Spanish films of 2024
References
Kay, Jeremy (1 August 2024). "US premiere of Pedro Almodóvar's 'The Room Next Door' named NYFF centrepiece". ScreenDaily.
EFE (7 September 2024). "'La habitación de al lado' de Almodóvar, primera película española en ganar el León de Oro". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 September 2024.
Bajo, Jordan (8 March 2024). "The Room Next Door: que nous réserve le prochain film de Pedro Almodóvar avec Julianne Moore et Tilda Swinton" [The Room Next Door: what does Pedro Almodóvar's next film with Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton have in store for us?]. Vogue (in French). Retrieved 26 March 2024.
"Swinton y Moore serán protagonistas del primer largometraje en inglés de Almodóvar". Heraldo de Aragón. 25 January 2024.
Brooks, Xan (2 September 2024). "The Room Next Door review – Almodóvar spins a gorgeous, fragile tale of life and deat". The Guardian.
Partearroyo, Daniel de (12 June 2024). "'La habitación de al lado', de Almodóvar: fecha de estreno, reparto y todo sobre su primera película en inglés". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
Ezaydi, Shahed (24 July 2024). "Motherhood, friendship and war: everything you need to know about The Room Next Door". Stylist.
Belinchón, Gregorio (17 May 2023). "Pedro Almodóvar will shoot his first English-language feature film in New York City". El País.
"El primer largometraje en inglés de Pedro Almodóvar se ambientará en Nueva York". Cinemanía. 6 October 2023 – via 20minutos.es.
Lattanzio, Ryan (28 February 2024). "Tilda Swinton Says Pedro Almodóvar's 'Room Next Door' Is a 'Natural Successor' to 'Pain and Glory'". IndieWire.
"'La habitación de al lado' de Pedro Almodóvar se verá en exclusiva en Movistar Plus+ tras su paso por los cines". Audiovisual451. 25 March 2024.
Kroll, Justin (18 March 2024). "Alessandro Nivola Joins Pedro Almodóvar's Next Film 'The Room Next Door'". Deadline. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
Lattanzio, Ryan (23 July 2024). "'The Room Next Door' First Look: Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton Are Pedro Almodóvar's New Muses". IndieWire.
Retamal N., Pablo (13 June 2024). "La Habitación de Al Lado: todo lo que sabemos de la nueva película de Pedro Almodóvar". La Tercera.
"La nueva película de Pedro Almodóvar, 'La habitación de al lado', se estrenará en octubre". Camera and Light Mag. 14 June 2024.
Lang, Brent (1 February 2024). "Sony Pictures Classics Releasing Pedro Almodovar's 'The Room Next Door,' Starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton". Variety.
Tartaglione, Nancy (12 June 2024). "Warner Bros Acquires Pedro Almodóvar's 'The Room Next Door' In Spain, UK, Germany & Other Key Overseas Markets". Deadline Hollywood.
Velasco, Marina (25 March 2024). "Una única plataforma acogerá el estreno de la primera película de Almodóvar grabada íntegramente en inglés: estreno en cines y dónde verla 'online'". El Confidencial.
Vivarelli, Nick; Keslassy, Elsa (16 July 2024). "Pedro Almodóvar's 'The Room Next Door,' Starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, Eyeing Venice Film Festival Debut". Variety. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
"Biennale Cinema 2024 | The room next door". La Biennale di Venezia. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
Wiseman, Andreas (23 July 2024). "Venice Festival Chief Alberto Barbera Says 'Joker 2' Is "One Of The Most Daring Films In Recent American Cinema" & Daniel Craig Gives "The Performance Of His Career" In 'Queer' – The Deadline Q&A". Deadline Hollywood.
Pond, Steven (13 August 2024). "Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis,' Pedro Almodovar's 'The Room Next Door' Added to Toronto Film Festival Lineup". The Wrap.
Lang, Jamie (14 August 2024). "Pedro Almodóvar to Receive 2024 San Sebastian Donostia Career Achievement Award". Variety.
Ntim, Zac (30 August 2024). "'The Room Next Door' Teaser: First Look At Pedro Almodóvar's Feature English-Language Debut Starring Julianne Moore & Tilda Swinton + Release Date Set". Deadline Hollywood.
"The Room Next Door". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 6 October 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
"The Room Next Door". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
Zacharek, Stephanie (2 September 2024). "Pedro Almodóvar's The Room Next Door Finds Joy Even as It Stares Down Death". Time.
Gleiberman, Owen (2 September 2024). "'The Room Next Door' Review: Tilda Swinton Gives a Monumental Performance as a Woman Confronting Death in Pedro Almodóvar's First English-Language Drama". Variety.
Collin, Robbie (2 September 2024). "The Room Next Door: Almodóvar's English-language debut is a clunky disappointment". The Daily Telegraph.
Kiang, Jessica (7 September 2024). "Pedro Almodóvar's 'The Room Next Door' Wins Venice Golden Lion as Nicole Kidman Takes Best Actress — Full Winners List". Variety.
"VENEZIA 81 - Il Premio Brian a "The Room Next Door" di Pedro Almodovar". Retrieved 6 September 2024.
"Mostra del Cinema di Venezia: il Premio Brian 2024 a "The Room Next Door" di Pedro Almodovar". Retrieved 7 September 2024.
External links
The Room Next Door at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
vte
Films directed by Pedro Almodóvar
vte
Venice Film Festival Golden Lion
vte
Sigrid Nunez

Categories: 2024 films2024 drama films2020s English-language films2020s Spanish filmsEl Deseo filmsEnglish-language Spanish filmsFilms about mother–daughter relationshipsFilms about war correspondentsFilms based on American novelsFilms directed by Pedro AlmodóvarFilms shot in MadridFilms shot in New York CitySpanish drama filmsWarner Bros. filmsGolden Lion winners
NEW YORK – Tilda Swinton is ready to talk about death.

In “The Room Next Door,” which premiered Friday at New York Film Festival, the actress plays a former war correspondent named Martha who decides to end her life after exhausting her treatment options for terminal cancer. Eager to live out her final days pain-free and mentally sound, she purchases a black-market euthanasia drug online and calls up her former colleague, Ingrid (Julianne Moore), whom she requests to be present in an adjacent bedroom when she dies.

But Ingrid is petrified of dying and tries to convince Martha there is still plenty worth living for. So the longtime friends hole up in a sumptuous vacation rental in upstate New York, where they relax and hash out life’s big questions.

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Oscar winners Tilda Swinton, left, and Julianne Moore star in Pedro Almdóvar's "The Room Next Door."
When you have old pals, “you can go straight to the important stuff,” Swinton, 63, told journalists in a Q&A after the screening. “You don’t need to even bother about all that ‘What did you do last week?’ or ‘What about that affair that only lasted a month?’ It’s very rare we see a relationship like this between two women on screen, but we do have these relationships and we rely on them.”

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The vibrant new drama is directed by Spanish filmmaking icon Pedro Almodóvar and adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s 2020 novel “What Are You Going Through.” Moore, 63, got metaphysical as she explained why she connected with the material.

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“The human condition is sometimes solipsistic: You don’t know if you exist,” she said. “You’re always like: ‘Could I be imagining all of this? Am I completely alone?’ And the only way you know that you’re not alone is when someone else is witnessing you. That’s what’s so profound about this film: All these people gathered together to make (a movie), to prove that we lived.”

For Ingrid, the prospect of accompanying Martha during her last few weeks “is a great adventure,” Almodóvar added. He cast Moore because she is an empathetic listener and sought out Swinton because she looks as if she’s from “another dimension.” (Of her bone structure, he joked, “I’m so envious!”)

“It was perfect for this woman (Martha) who can talk about war, can talk about death, can talk about loneliness, can talk about everything that she is losing with this illness,” Almodóvar said. “But always with a kind of dignity. She’s celebrating” the life she had.

“The Room Next Door” won best picture at Venice Film Festival last month and will be released in New York and Los Angeles theaters on Dec. 20. Swinton and Moore are back in the hunt for their second Oscars with the film, after their respective wins for 2007’s “Michael Clayton” and 2014’s “Still Alice.”
It’s a trio made in film lover heaven—Spanish writer/director extraordinaire Pedro Almodóvar and Oscar-winners Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton teamed up for the auteur’s first English-language feature, The Room Next Door. Sony Pictures Classics has shared the first peek from Almodóvar’s latest ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 2.

The Room Next Door is centered on former close friends and colleagues Martha (Swinton) and Ingrid (Moore), who met while working at the same magazine when they were younger. Their careers took divergent paths, with Ingrid becoming an autofiction novelist and Martha a war reporter—hard to find two more disparate forms of writing than that—whose lives converge once again.

This is the first film for Almodóvar since 2021’s Parallel Mothers, which similarly made its world premiere in Venice and earned Penelope Cruz the Volip Cup for Best Actress. Almodóvar is again working with phenomenal performers in Moore and Swinton and a supporting cast that includes John Turturo, Alessandro Nivola, Melina Matthews, and Juan Diego Botto.

The Room Next Door is slated for a December 20 release. Check out the teaser below.

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Featured image: Tilda Swinton and Juilanne Moore in “The Room Next Door.” Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics
Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton explore a uniquely close relationship in their latest drama.

On Aug. 20, Sony Pictures Classics debuted the first teaser trailer for The Room Next Door, from director Pedro Almodóvar, the Oscar winner who previously made Parallel Mothers, The Skin I Live In and more. It's the filmmaker's first movie filmed entirely in English.

In the film, Moore plays Ingrid and Swinton is Martha, "who were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine," per a synopsis.

"Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation."

John Turturro also stars in the film, which will be showcased at the upcoming Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival.

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SONY PICTURES CLASSICS TO RELEASE THE ROOM NEXT DOOR starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton.
Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in "The Room Next Door". Sony Pictures Classics
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At the premiere of her movie Problemista in February, Swinton told PEOPLE that The Room Next Door is a "really delicate" story "about adults facing tricky adult things about friendship."

"It's really about good, good friends and what good friends do for each other," she added at the time.

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS TO RELEASE THE ROOM NEXT DOOR starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton.
Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in "The Room Next Door". Sony Pictures Classics
Swinton, 63, also shared her excitement in getting to work with fellow Oscar winner Moore, 63.

"We've actually met a couple of times over the years. We've always wanted to hang out more and more. And the best way of hanging out with someone you like is to work with them. And now we're together and we're loving it," she said at the time.

The Room Next Door is in select theaters Dec. 20, then everywhere Dec. 25.
Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore’s dramedy The Room Next Door premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, September 2, and made history by earning a 17-minute standing ovation, the longest ever at the festival.

In a video shared on X by Deadline, the film leads were seen sharing a warm moment after the extraordinary audience response. Swinton hugged Moore who wore a bedazzled gold Bottega Veneta gown at the premiere, as the crowd clapped and cheered.

Swinton then turned around to face the audience on the other side, blew a kiss, and placed her hand on her chest as a gesture of gratitude. The standing ovation for The Room Next Door surpassed the festival’s historic applauses, including Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, which earned a 12-minute applause, Pablo Larrain’s Maria, for eight minutes, and Justin Kurzel’s The Order, for seven minutes.

The movie revolves around Ingrid (Moore) and Martha (Swinton), who once worked together at a magazine in New York and became close friends but grew out of touch and led on different paths. However, under difficult yet sweet circumstances, they reunite, now Ingrid is a best selling author and Martha is battling a terminal illness—cancer.

The official synopsis says, "Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life.” But years later, “they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation."

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In February, at the premiere of her movie Problemista, Swinton spoke about The Room Next Door to PEOPLE and described it as a “really delicate” story about adults facing tricky situations that are testing their friendship. "It's really about good, good friends and what good friends do for each other," she added.

She also shared her excitement about collaborating with Moore, saying they have “always wanted to hang out more and more,” and the best way to do that for an actor is to work with them. “And now we're together and we're loving it,” she added.

The Room Next Door will be released in theaters on December 25.

Tilda Swinton is reuniting with auteur Pedro Almodóvar for his English-language feature debut.

Swinton, who starred in Almodóvar’s short film “The Human Voice,” plays a dying journalist who reunites with her old friend (Julianne Moore). The official synopsis reads: Ingrid (Moore) and Martha (Swinton) were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

John Turturro, Alessandro Nivola, and Juan Diego Botto also star.

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The feature is adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s novel “What Are You Going Through,” and while filmed in Madrid, is instead centered on Almodóvar’s “career-long fascination with the lives of women for an American vernacular, capturing Manhattan and upstate New York with enraptured affection,” as a description reads.

“The Room Next Door” will debut at the Venice Film Festival, and later screen at TIFF and NYFF as a Centerpiece showcase. This marks Almodóvar’s 15th New York Film Festival selection and ninth gala presentation, having premiered numerous Sony Pictures Classics titles at NYFF since 1988, including most recently “Parallel Mothers” and “Pain and Glory.” The NYFF Centerpiece screening will be the film’s U.S. premiere.

Swinton told IndieWire that “The Room Next Door” is an artistic extension of “Pain and Glory,” which was a semi-autobiographical film. Swinton said the upcoming film is “a natural successor, strangely, to ‘Pain and Glory,’ in that it’s about mature friendships and how they sustain us and what we need them for at this stage in our lives. So it’s going to be meaty.”

She teased of “The Room Next Door,” saying, “It’s a beautiful thing, and I can’t say that much more about it, but I can tell you it’s a real Almodóvar film. What I can tell you is that it’s about mature friendship in a way.”

Produced by Almodóvar’s El Deseo, “The Room Next Door” is also released by Sony Pictures Classics.

“The Room Next Door” premieres December 20 in theaters in New York and Los Angeles, and will expand to select cities December 25. The film will get a nationwide rollout from Sony Pictures Classics in January 2025. Check out the teaser below.

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Trailers
The first footage from Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door,” starring Oscar winners Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, is here.

Sony Pictures Classics dropped a teaser trailer on Tuesday for the film, which marks Almodóvar’s first English-language feature and is set to premiere in competition at Venice Film Festival on Sept. 2. According to its synopsis, “The Room Next Door” follows Ingrid (Moore) and Martha (Swinton), who were close friends in their youth when they worked at the same magazine.

“Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life,” the description continues. “After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.”

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In the clip, Swinton is seen in a hospital bed with Moore at her side as dramatic music plays. The two go on to inhabit the same home and must navigate their resumed friendship, with Moore seeming to be much more interested in doing so than Swinton.

Popular on Variety
“The Room Next Door” is Almodóvar’s follow-up to 2021’s “Parallel Mothers,” which also bowed at Venice and scored the fest’s best actress Volpi Cup for Penelope Cruz’s performance. The film is among a stellar competition lineup at this year’s Venice Film Festival, which includes Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer,” Pablo Larrain’s “Maria” and Todd Phillips’ “Joker: Folie à Deux,” among others.

After its Venice premiere, “The Room Next Door” will open in theaters Dec. 20 from Sony Pictures Classics.

Watch the teaser trailer for “The Room Next Door” below.
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Julianne Moore, Pedro Almodovar, The room Next Door, Tilda Swinton
Here’s your first look at Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language debut The Room Next Door.

Sony Picture Classics dropped the first look teaser this morning. The pic, starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, is set to debut this month at the Venice Film Festival before heading stateside for its U.S. premiere at New York Film Festival. Sony also shared today that it will release the pic in New York and Los Angeles on December 20 before expanding to select cities on Christmas day. The film will then open in theaters nationwide in January 2025.

The Room Next Door follows Ingrid (Moore), a best-selling writer who rekindles a relationship with her friend Martha, a war journalist played by Swinton. The two women immerse themselves in their pasts, but Martha has a request that will test their newly strengthened bond. Also starring are John Turturro, Alessandro Nivola, and Juan Diego Botto.

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(L-R): Cast members John Turturro, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, writer & director Pedro Almodóvar , and NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim take part in a Q&A following the U.S. premiere of the film "The Room Next Door" during the 62nd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on Oct. 4, 2024 in New York City.
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Pedro Almodovar.
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The film is described as addressing the endless cruelty of war, and the very different ways in which the two female authors approach and write about reality, death, friendship and sexual pleasure as the best allies in the fight against horror.

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Further description says the movie “evokes the sweet awakening with the chirping of birds, in a house built in the middle of a nature reserve in New England, where the two friends live in an extreme and strangely sweet situation.”

Warner Bros Pictures has acquired The Room Next Door for release in a host of key international markets including the filmmaker’s home turf of Spain. The studio also has the UK, Germany, Italy, the Nordics, Central & Eastern Europe (excluding Poland), Latin America, and some of Asia-Pacific, including Japan.

Produced by Almodóvar’s El Deseo, The Room Next Door was shot between Madrid and New York, with Movistar Plus+. The film marks Almodóvar’s first feature-length project since 2021’s Parallel Mothers, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival where Penelope Cruz won the Best Actress Volpi Cup for her role in the film.

Check out the teaser above.

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Julianne Moore
Pedro Almodóvar
The Room Next Door
Tilda Swinton