Rob Lowe reflects on bold new film ‘The Musical' at Sundance premiere

Rob Lowe admits he wasn’t sure what to expect when he first heard about The Musical, but the actor says he quickly fell in love with its boldness.

Premiering at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, the film—directed by Giselle Bonilla and Alexander Heller—follows a disgruntled middle school drama teacher (Will Brill) who stages an outrageous production to spite his principal (played by Lowe) for dating his ex (Gillian Jacobs).

What begins as a supposed staging of West Side Story turns out to be a shocking new musical titled The Heroes, centered on the events of 9/11.

“I didn’t read it for like a month, because I was like, ‘The Musical? Oh god, is this like a low-budget Mamma Mia and I’m the cut-rate Pierce Brosnan?’” Lowe told TheWrap.

“Then I read it and was like, ‘What the f–k?’ and was just smitten with the audaciousness of it. It’s such a big swing, and it’s so smart and so funny, and I loved it from the jump.”

The project originated as a feature idea that later turned into a short while Bonilla and Heller were at AFI.

Cast members praised the filmmakers’ vision, with Jacobs noting, “This is sort of what you want to do as an actor: meet someone at the beginning of their career and get to be a part of their first thing.”

Following its premiere, The Musical earned mostly positive reviews, with critics calling it “consistently funny before going out with a bang.”

The film also sparked conversations about how younger generations who were born after 9/11 interpret and reenact history.

Bonilla revealed that some students had already staged similar plays as part of lessons.