Before Sunrise Actress to Feature in High-Profile Ensemble Cast Alongside Keanu Reeves and Kirsten Dunst
Acclaimed actress, screenwriter, and director Julie Delpy has joined the all-star ensemble cast of Ruben Östlund’s highly anticipated satire, The Entertainment System Is Down. The film marks the latest dark comedy from the two-time Palme d’Or winner and is set aboard a long-haul commercial flight where the in-flight entertainment fails—forcing passengers to confront their own boredom and unraveling societal facades in the process.
Östlund, known for Triangle of Sadness and The Square, is once again diving into the discomforts of modern human behavior, this time mid-air, in what’s expected to be a sharply funny and socially reflective narrative.
A-List Cast Adds to the Buzz
Delpy joins a powerhouse lineup including Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Brühl, Keanu Reeves, Nicholas Braun, Tobias Menzies, Connor Swindells, and Daniel Webber, among others. The ensemble cast promises a dynamic blend of comedy and tension, essential to the film’s satirical core.
Julie Delpy: A Veteran of International Cinema
Delpy recently completed production on Netflix’s upcoming political thriller The Choice, where she plays the French President. She continues to build an impressive career spanning across both American and European cinema. The French-American actress rose to prominence with Jean-Luc Godard’s Detective at age 14 and went on to star in cinematic classics such as Killing Zoe, Three Colors Trilogy by Krzysztof Kieslowski, and Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy opposite Ethan Hawke.
Her screenwriting work on Before Sunset and Before Midnight earned her two Academy Award nominations. She also received three César Award nominations and found acclaim as a filmmaker with projects like 2 Days in Paris and 2 Days in New York. Most recently, she wrote, directed, and starred in Meet the Barbarians, which premiered at TIFF and will open the Miami Film Festival on April 3, 2025.
International Co-Production with Global Reach
The Entertainment System Is Down is an international co-production led by Sweden’s Plattform Produktion in collaboration with Essential Films (Germany) and Parisienne de Production (France). The film also has backing from major European broadcasters and funding bodies, including BBC Film, ARTE France Cinéma, Sveriges Television, and ZDF/ARTE.
Additional production support comes from the Swedish Film Institute, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, and Creative Europe MEDIA, alongside Nordic film institutes from Norway and Denmark. Distribution rights in the U.S. have been secured by A24, known for their commitment to auteur-driven cinema.
A Flight You Won’t Forget
Östlund’s latest film follows the tradition of his previous satirical works, blending sharp wit with piercing commentary on human behavior. Much like Triangle of Sadness tackled class dynamics on a luxury yacht, The Entertainment System Is Down shifts focus to the psychological unravelling of airline passengers deprived of modern distractions—underscoring the absurdities of 21st-century life.
Global sales for the film are being handled by Coproduction Office, with a release expected to attract major attention on the festival circuit before its commercial debut.
Management Production Entertainment and Ziffren Brittenham represent Delpy.