Jordan Firstman has made one of Cannes’ biggest breakout films. And now A24 – naturally – wants in.
The indie film studio has snapped up worldwide rights to Club Kid after a heated bidding war at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, reportedly paying around $17 million for the film. That’s a huge number for a directorial debut, particularly one without superheroes, legacy IP, or a cast stacked with Oscar bait. Instead, it's a film powered by queer nightlife chaos, emotional sincerity, and Firstman’s singular internet-brain humour.
Following its premiere in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, the film quickly became one of the festival’s hottest tickets, with distributors circling almost immediately.
What is the film about?
Club Kid follows Peter, a washed-up New York party promoter who has spent most of his adult life floating through clubs, hookups, and chemically-assisted oblivion. Then one morning, a child appears at his doorstep – the son he never knew he had.
Firstman directs and stars in the film, which blends broad comedy with something surprisingly tender underneath. Early reviews describe it as equal parts nightclub fever dream and emotional reckoning, with IndieWire calling it “brazen, funny, and surprisingly earnest. There are shades of Gregg Araki, echoes of Kramer vs. Kramer, and the unmistakable DNA of A24’s favourite kind of messy character study: deeply flawed people trying, often badly, to grow up.
Who else was bidding for the film?
Pretty much everyone. According to multiple reports, A24 beat out Netflix, Focus Features, Searchlight, Mubi, and several other distributors in what became one of Cannes’ first major acquisition battles of the year. Warner Bros.’ indie label Clockwork was also reportedly interested before exiting negotiations early, while Neon – despite dominating Cannes in recent years – apparently passed due to an already crowded slate.
Who is involved in the film?
Alongside Firstman, the film stars Cara Delevingne (who's been busy releasing music as of late), Diego Calva, and newcomer Reggie Absalom. Producers include Oscar-winning Anora producer Alex Coco, Galen Core, Ryan Heller, and Michael Bloom. The film was financed by Topic Studios with Stay Gold co-financing, while UTA handled the sale alongside international outfit Charades.
Who is Jordan Firstman?
Firstman is an American comedian, writer, actor, and director. You might initially have recognised him from his viral "Impressions" and character comedy sketches on social media, or last year as Charlie, a fan-favourite, gossipy gay best friend in Rachel Sennott's first season of I Love L.A.
When will it be released?
There’s no official release date yet, but with A24 now holding global rights, we're expecting it to land sometime in 2026 following its Cannes rollout.
