Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman star as a dysfunctional married couple in The Roses (not to be confused with the Roses of Schitt’s Creek). The 2025 new movie is an adaptation/remake of The War of the Roses from the 1980s.
Warren Adler wrote the initial book back in 1981, which was then turned into a 1989 movie of the same name starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito (with DeVito also directing). The original movie was well received, as evidenced by its “Certified Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes. Can the new adaptation of the story have similar (or better) success?
Here is everything you need to know about The Roses, from when it is going to premiere to who else makes up the cast.
The Roses release date
The Roses has been set for an August 29 release in the US from Searchlight Pictures. At this time, there is no official UK release date for The Roses.
The late summer release, along with the talent involved, seemingly puts The Roses in the position of being an Oscar hopeful this year.
The Roses cast
Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman star as the central couple, Theo and Ivy, respectively. Two of the most respected actors working today, Cumberbatch is a two-time Oscar-nominated actor (The Imitation Game, The Power of the Dog), who most recently was seen in the Netflix limited series Eric.
Colman, meanwhile, is an Oscar-winner (The Favourite) who most recently was seen on the big screen in Paddington in Peru and Wicked Little Letters, but has also had notable TV roles in The Bear, Heartstopper and The Crown.
Others making up The Roses cast are Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Allison Janney (The Diplomat season 2), Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who season 15), Jamie Demetriou (Back in Action), Zoe Chao (The Afterparty), Belinda Bromilow (The Great) and Kate McKinnon (Barbie). Their roles have not been specified at this time.
The Roses plot
Tony McNamara, the Oscar-nominated writer for Poor Things and The Favourite and creator of The Great, adapted the screenplay for The Roses. Here is the official synopsis:
“Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Ivy and Theo: successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids. But beneath the facade of their ideal life, a storm is brewing — as Theo’s career nosedives while Ivy’s own ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites.”
The Roses trailer
There is no trailer for The Roses at this time. When one becomes available online we’ll add it here.
The Roses director
Jay Roach is the director of The Roses. Roach may not be as recognizable a name to all, but he has a number of major movies on his resume. That includes notable TV movies for HBO primarily centered around major US political events, like 2008’s Recount about the Bush/Gore election of 2000, 2012’s Game Change about Sarah Palin becoming John McCain’s vice presidential nominee in 2008 and All the Way in 2016, about LBJ’s push to get the Civil Rights Act passed.
But here is a complete look at Roach’s feature film directing credits:
- Zoo Radio (1990)
- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
- Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
- Mystery, Alaska (1999)
- Meet the Parents (2000)
- Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
- Meet the Fockers (2004)
- Dinner for Schmucks (2010)
- The Campaign (2012)
- Trumbo (2015)
- Bombshell (2019)
The Roses behind the scenes
As mentioned, The Roses is a Searchlight Pictures production, alongside Adler Entertainment Trust, South of the River Pictures and SunnyMarch.
The producers on the movie are Roach, Michelle Graham, Ed Sinclair, Tom Carver, Adam Ackland and Leah Clarke.
