A24 has finally released the first trailer for Mother Mary, the highly anticipated drama starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. Written and directed by David Lowery (The Green Knight), the film explores the fraught, emotionally charged relationship between an iconic pop sensation and the designer who helped build her image.

Hathaway stars as Mother Mary, a theatrical, larger-than-life performer described as a hybrid of Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. Coel portrays Sam Anselm, Mary’s former best friend and once-trusted costume designer, whose creative vision shaped the star’s career.

According to the official synopsis, long-buried wounds resurface when the estranged pair reunite on the eve of Mary’s major comeback performance.

The cast also includes Euphoria breakout Hunter Schafer as Hilda, Sam’s quietly observant assistant. They are joined by an eclectic supporting ensemble featuring Grammy nominee FKA Twigs, Kaia Gerber, Atheena Frizzell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Alba Baptista, Sian Clifford and Isaura Barbé-Brown. The film will also showcase original music from acclaimed producer Jack Antonoff, alongside contributions from Charli xcx and FKA Twigs.

The teaser, released on December 2, opens with an intense close-up of Mary preparing to go onstage before a roaring crowd. Sam’s voice-over reveals that she has not seen Mary in more than a decade, yet sensed her arrival long before it happened. As the trailer shifts between lavish imagery, private jets, ornate manors and heightened glamour, it builds towards the pair’s uneasy reunion. When pressed on her sudden return, Mary simply states: “Sam, I need a dress.”

Their exchanges hint at a relationship marked by envy, hurt and unresolved affection. Sam’s cutting remarks about Mary’s music and self-absorption suggest a deep emotional rift, while Mary’s apologies expose her desperation to mend what was lost. Midway through the trailer, the tone pivots sharply, assuring viewers the film is neither a ghost story nor a romance. Brief flashes of body horror, ritualistic imagery and a seemingly disastrous Ouija session lend the film an eerie, psychological edge.

Following the trailer’s debut, LGBTQ+ film fans lit up social media, thrilled by the queer-coded tension and powerhouse casting. Hathaway has spoken about the demanding nature of the role, noting she had to embrace the vulnerability of being “a beginner” while undertaking intensive vocal training and choreography.

Mother Mary is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.