“It’s my song… I wrote it”: Watch Paul Rudd and Joe Jonas going from friends to foes in the trailer for Power Ballad, the new musical movie from John Carney that centres on a songwriting dispute

Nick Jonas as Danny and Paul Rudd as Rick in Power Ballad. Photo Credit: David Cleary
(Image credit: David Cleary/Courtesy of Lionsgate)

Director John Carney is known for his music-themed movies – the likes of Once, Begin Again and Sing Street – and at first glance, his upcoming film, Power Ballad, appears to tick a lot of the same boxes.

In a trailer that’s just dropped, we see “past-his-prime wedding singer” Rick (Paul Rudd) finding an unlikely musical bedfellow in “fading boyband star” Danny (Nick Jonas), and the scene seems set for them to write a song together and conquer the world with it.

However, it looks like there’s a twist: instead of working harmoniously, it appears that Danny ends up taking one of Rick’s songs and turning it into a hit without taking Rick along for the ride.

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As you might expect, Rick isn’t ready to take this lying down and so “sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves - even if it means risking everything he cares about.”

Whereas disputes like this are usually raised by legal means and often settled out of court, it looks like Danny and Rick ending up coming to blows over their beef. Given that the movie is billed as “a feelgood story about music, self-respect, friendship, and the price of ambition,” though, we suspect that they might work things out in the end.

As well as directing and co-writing the film, IMDB indicates that John Carney also co-wrote the music for Power Ballad alongside Gary Clark, who he previously collaborated with on the Sing Street soundtrack. It’ll be released on 5 June.

Power Ballad (2026) Official Trailer - Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas - YouTube Power Ballad (2026) Official Trailer - Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas - YouTube
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Ben Rogerson
Deputy Editor

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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