The Last Showgirl generated a lot of potential awards buzz for star Pamela Anderson following the film’s debut at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this fall. Directed by Gia Coppola, The Last Showgirl has been seen as a major comeback film for Anderson that could kick off a new career resurgence – one that will likely build with the release of The Naked Gun next summer. Now Roadside Pictures is looking to cash in on that buzz by giving The Last Showgirl an Oscar-qualifying release date.
Deadline reports that Roadside Pictures will release The Last Showgirl in select theaters on December 13, 2024, allowing it to qualify for the 97th Academy Awards. The film will move into wide release on January 10, 2024, as voting for the Academy Awards is in full swing. Roadside Pictures secured the North American film rights to The Last Showgirl following the Toronto Film Festival, while Sony Pictures will release the film internationally.
Anderson plays Shelley, a Las Vegas showgirl who faces a major turning point in her life following the announcement that the show she has performed in for over 30 years is set to close. Shelley decides to reconnect with her estranged daughter, played by Billie Lourd, as she’s forced to figure out what to do with her life while grappling with decisions from her past. The supporting cast includes Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, Dave Bautista, and Academy Award-winner Jamie Lee Curtis.
The 2025 Oscars Race Is Already Competitive
Roadside Pictures is currently going for the standard awards season play of releasing a film in limited release at the end of the year to qualify for the Academy Awards, then expanding the release early in January to keep it fresh in voters’ and audiences’ minds. The move is an apparent push for Pamela Anderson to get a Best Actress nomination, positioning the movie as a comeback performance similar to Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler or Brendan Fraser in The Whale. The Last Showgirl currently sits at 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, as nearly every review praises Anderson’s performance. However, the Best Actress race has been heating up with Demi Moore in The Substance, Nicole Kidman in Babygirl, and Mikey Madison in Anora generating a lot of Oscar buzz, so Anderson will face some stiff competition to land a nomination.
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The Last Showgirl’s limited release will be towards the start of the holiday movie season, as Kraven the Hunter and The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will open nationwide. The Last Showgirl‘s wide release on January 10, 2025, will see it facing off against holiday movie holdovers like Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Mufasa: The Lion King, and Nosferatu. In terms of new releases for that weekend, The Last Showgirl will screen alongside Den of Thieves 2: Pantera and the psychological thriller Companion. The Last Showgirl might not seem like the type of movie that would draw big numbers at the box office, but audiences might be compelled to see a new side of Pamela Anderson, which could make it a breakout hit.
- Release Date
- September 6, 2024
- Director
- Gia Coppola
- Runtime
- 85 Minutes
- Writers
- Kate Gersten
The Last Showgirl
opens in limited release on December 13, 2024 and in wide release on January 10, 2025.