The first look at Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama (2026), the upcoming feature film directed by Borgli, has been released, offering an initial preview ahead of the movie’s theatrical debut on April 3, 2026.

The project features Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in the lead roles, portraying an engaged couple whose seemingly perfect relationship begins to unravel. The ensemble cast also includes Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie, and Hailey Benton Gates.

The newly released teaser provides an early glimpse at Zendaya and Pattinson’s on-screen dynamic, showcasing the pair in a reimagined romantic pairing. Zendaya appears as Emma, while Pattinson embodies Charlie, her fiancé.

In the first-look footage, the characters participate in a warm-up photoshoot for their wedding week, with their body language and uncomfortable expressions underscoring tension, emotional fracture, and the instability underlying their engagement.

According to the film’s official synopsis, The Drama (2026) follows happily engaged couple Emma and Charlie as they prepare for their wedding, only to find their relationship being tested.

“A happily engaged couple is put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week off the rails.”

This moment sparks the main clash, bringing up old tensions and quiet fears that have been lingering beneath the surface, ones they’ve both avoided facing head-on.

The fresh trailer for The Drama (2026) shows brief moments between them, highlighting how close they feel yet also the quiet unease that lies underneath. Scenes from the shoot, broken bits of conversation, along with flashes of personal breakdowns, hint at a growing strain between Emma and Charlie.

Though the preview sets a close, tense, and tricky mood, it keeps big story points hidden, never explaining exactly what shakes up their plans. It hints at drama without showing the turning point, instead focusing on uneasy glances and quiet moments that suggest cracks beneath the surface. No clear answers come through; just tension building slowly, while voices drop low and lights dim further.

The Drama (2026): Production background and creative direction

Pattinson discussed his experience preparing for The Drama (2026) in a March 2025 interview with Premiere France, revealing that one particular scene with Zendaya became a point of fixation. He explained:

“We had a scene together in it that was driving me crazy. I was desperately looking for its meaning, to the point of writing pages and pages of textual analysis… I ended up calling Zendaya the night before shooting the scene in question.”

He also added:

“I shared my doubts with her, I spoke for two hours, and blah blah blah, and after a while, very calmly, she finally made me understand that the line just said what it meant to say, that there was no hidden meaning.”

The Drama (2026) was filmed in Andover, Massachusetts, where Zendaya and Pattinson were photographed on set in late 2024. Production was overseen by Borgli along with A24.

The Drama (2026): Cast overview and related projects

Zendaya takes the lead role as Emma, joining her lineup of movies set to drop by 2025 and beyond. She takes on the part at a time when news about her engagement with Tom Holland had drawn significant attention early this year.

Playing opposite her, Robert Pattinson embodies Charlie, a character whose inner struggles and breakdowns push the story forward. Instead of teamwork or fate, it’s tension and raw feeling that tie their performances together.

Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie, also Hailey Benton Gates are part of the cast. Information on what each one plays isn’t available yet, but they help shape the movie’s close-knit group feel.

The trailer for The Drama (2026) is now available, providing the first official preview of the film ahead of its April 2026 release.

Also read: The Drama first poster comes with a Boston Globe announcement for Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s on-screen engagement