Ballad of a Small Player
| Ballad of a Small Player | |
|---|---|
 U.S release poster | |
| Directed by | Edward Berger |
| Screenplay by | Rowan Joffé |
| Based on | The Ballad of a Small Player by Lawrence Osborne |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | James Friend |
| Edited by | Nick Emerson |
| Music by | Volker Bertelmann[1] |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes[2] |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
Ballad of a Small Player is an upcoming psychological thriller film directed by Edward Berger, written by Rowan Joffé, and based on the 2014 novel The Ballad of a Small Player by Lawrence Osborne. It stars Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Deannie Yip, Alex Jennings, and Tilda Swinton.[1]
The film is slated to have its world premiere in the Special Presentations section of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2025.[2][3] It will be released in a limited release in the United States on October 15, 2025, and in the United Kingdom on October 17, before streaming on Netflix on October 29.[4][1]
Premise
A gambler and a con artist flee Britain for Macau.[5]
Cast
Production
The film is directed by Edward Berger and written by Rowan Joffé, based on Lawrence Osborne's 2014 novel The Ballad of a Small Player. Mike Goodridge is producing the film for Good Chaos, along with Berger for Nine Hours, as well as Matthew James Wilkinson.[6] In April 2024, Colin Farrell was cast in the lead role. Later that month, Tilda Swinton joined the cast.[7][8] In May 2024, Fala Chen joined the cast.[9] In May 2025, Deannie Yip and Alex Jennings were also revealed to have been in the cast.[4]
Filming
Principal photography began on June 26, 2024, in Macau and Hong Kong and wrapped on August 25.[10]
References
- ^ a b c Goodfellow, Melanie (July 17, 2025). "First Images Of Colin Farrell & Fala Chen In Edward Berger's 'Ballad Of A Small Player' Unveiled As Netflix Sets Release". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ a b "Ballad of a Small Player". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 21, 2025). "TIFF Galas & Presentations: World Premieres 'Good Fortune', 'Nuremberg', Sydney Sweeney Pic 'Christy', Angelina Jolie 'Couture'; North American Debuts Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein', Dwayne Johnson 'Smashing Machine'". Deadline.
- ^ a b "New Movies on Netflix: The Ultimate Guide to What's Coming in 2025". Netflix Tudum. May 13, 2025. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ London, Rob (April 9, 2024). "Colin Farrell Will Sing 'The Ballad of a Small Player' on Netflix". Collider. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (April 9, 2024). "Colin Farrell To Star In Edward Berger's 'The Ballad Of A Small Player' For Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Gajewski, Ryan (April 9, 2024). "Colin Farrell to Star in Edward Berger's 'The Ballad of a Small Player' for Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (April 30, 2024). "Tilda Swinton Joins Colin Farrell In Edward Berger's Netflix Pic 'The Ballad Of A Small Player'; Filming To Start This Summer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 13, 2024). "'Shang-Chi' Star Fala Chen Joins Colin Farrell & Tilda Swinton In 'The Ballad Of A Small Player'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Calnan, Elle (June 27, 2024). "Netflix's 'The Ballad Of A Small Player' with Colin Farrell filming in Macau". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Retrieved June 29, 2024.