Jeremy Allen White stars as Bruce Springsteen in ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere,’ the NYFF Spotlight Gala on Sept. 28 — Springsteen will attend.
Scott Cooper’s Bruce Springsteen biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere will play as the Spotlight Gala at the 63rd New York Film Festival, with a special screening set for Sept. 28 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
The announcement confirms Jeremy Allen White—fresh off acclaim for The Bear—as Springsteen, and says the star, director and key cast members will attend the NYFF presentation; Bruce Springsteen himself is also expected to be on hand.
Adapted from Warren Zanes’s chronicle of the making of Nebraska, the film zeroes in on an early-1980s crossroads in Springsteen’s career when he was crafting the stark, acoustic songs that became Nebraska while also recording demos that would spawn Born in the U.S.A. The cast includes Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau—Springsteen’s manager and producer—and Odessa Young as the singer’s romantic interest, among a supporting ensemble that features Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham and others.
Cooper, who wrote and directed the project, said bringing a story about Springsteen to NYFF felt deeply personal, calling the experience of getting to know Springsteen and his music “one of the most profound creative experiences of my life.”
NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim praised the film’s intimacy and “stark majesty,” suggesting Cooper’s approach—anchored by White’s performance—offers a rare immediacy for a music biopic.
Film at Lincoln Center’s selection places the movie among a headline slate that opens Sept. 26 and runs through mid-October; tickets for the festival screening are expected to go on sale in the weeks ahead.
20th Century Studios has scheduled a wide theatrical release for the film later in October, positioning the Springsteen drama for both critical festival exposure and a mainstream autumn rollout.
Early reactions to trailers and footage have focused on White’s transformation and vocal work as Springsteen, and industry observers are already flagging the picture as a potential awards-season contender should the NYFF reception match the buzz.
