Barry Keoghan’s feature film follow-up toSaltburnarrives in the form of Andrea Arnold’s latest directorial effort,Bird. Arnold is known for her previous worksFish Tank(2009),American Honey(2016), andBig Little Lies(2019).Birdpremiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on July 30, 2025.Ahead of its wide release in the U.S. and U.K. on August 15, 2025,Birdearned positive reviewsand a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 76%, continuing an impressivestreak for Keoghan of critically acclaimed filmsthat includesDunkirk(2017),The Killing of a Sacred Deer(2017), andThe Banshees of Insiherin(2022).
Birdfollows a budding teenager named Bailey who lives with her reckless and unconcerned father, Bug. She and her brother Hunter live with Bug illegally as squatters in northern Kent, England. As evidenced by theBirdtrailer, Bug doesn’t have a lot of time to devote to his kids, more interested in making it big through the illicit trade of a toad with hallucinogenic properties. As a result, Bailey must find other ways in the area to entertain herself and find purpose, which leads her to encounter an apparent oddball drifter namedBird.Birdwas nominated for the Palm d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
Dionne’s Mum
Nykiya Adams as Bailey
Actor: Newcomer Nykiya Adams, 14, was nominated for the Breakthrough Performance Award at the British Independent Film Awards for her role as Bailey inBird. It marks her feature film acting debut and the first professional film or television credit of her acting career. Since Andrea Arnold is a director known for working with non-actors, it comes as no surprise that she would enlist another one in the form of Adams to star alongside the heavyweight talents of Oscar-nominee Keoghan. According toDazed, “Adams’s only acting experience was in a minor role in a school production of Matilda.”
Character: Nykiya Adams plays the protagonist ofBird, a haphazard teen named Bailey.
Barry Keoghan as Bug
Actor: Barry Keoghan, 31, is a successful and notable actor from Dublin, Ireland. He rose to prominence in the entertainment industry after appearing in Yorgos Lanthimos’The Killing of the Sacred Deerand later received anOscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2022’sThe Banshees of Inisherin.Keoghan’s other notable films and television series include Christopher Nolan’sDunkirk(2017), HBO’sChernobyl(2019), and Apple’sMasters of the Air(2024) alongside Austin Butler and Callum Turner. Keoghan also briefly portrayed the Joker in a post-credits scene of 2022’sThe Batmanand appears alongside Jacob Elordi in 2023’sSaltburn. He is set to star in an upcoming film directed by Trey Edward Shults (It Comes at Night,Waves) alongside Jenna Ortega and The Weeknd.
Chernobyl
Pavel
Character: Barry Keoghan plays Bug, the aimless and unconcerned father of Bailey and Hunter inBird.
Franz Rogowski as Bird
Actor: Franz Rogowski, 38, is a prominent German actor. He plays the titular character ofBird, who appears to be a mysterious wanderer based on the official trailer of the film. Rogowski is best known for his appearances inVictoria(2015),Love Steaks(2013), and Terrence Malick’s most recent filmA Hidden Life(2019). Born in 1986 in Freiburg, Germany, he has appeared in various European productions, such asPassages(2023),Great Freedom(2021),Happy End(2017), andTransit(2018). He made his feature film debut in the 2011 filmFrontalwattedirected by Jakob Lass. He is slated to appear in the upcoming filmWizards!directed by David Michod and starring Noami Scott, Orland Bloom, and Pete Davidson as well as Terrence Malick’s next filmThe Way of the Wind.
A Hidden Life
Waldland
Character: Franz Rogowski plays the titular character Bird in the film.
Bird Supporting Cast & Characters
Jasmine Jobson as Peyton: Jasmine Jobson plays Peyton inBird. She is best known for her previous roles inTop Boy,In the Shadows, andSurge.
Jason Buda as Hunter: Jason Buda plays Hunter, Bailey’s brother inBird. Buda also makes his feature film debut.
Frankie Box as Kayleigh: Frankie Box plays Kayleigh inBirdand has previously appeared inPerfect 10,No Faces, andShagbands.
James Nelson-Joyce as Skate: James Nelson-Joyce plays Skate inBird. His other notable works includeThe Nest,Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, andA Thousand Blows.
Joanne Matthews as Debs: Joanna Matthews plays Debs in Bird. She is best known forThe Firm,The Intent 2: The Come Up, andThe Story of F***.
Sarah Beth Harber as Dionne’s Mum: Sarah Beth Harber plays Dionne’s Mum inBird. She only has one previous acting credit in the 2012 shortU Lookin at Me?
Kristy J. Curtis as Moon’s Mum: Kristy J. Curtis plays Moon’s Mum inBird. Her previous works includeJoan,Harlots, andEastEnders.
Rhys Yates as Beck: Rhys Yeates plays Beck inBird. His previous works includeGuy Ritchie’s The Covenant,Unforgotten, andThe Outlaws.
Disclaimer
Cast
Told in seven chapters, “Disclaimer” is based on the novel of the same name by Renée Knight. Acclaimed journalist Catherine Ravenscroft (Blanchett) built her reputation revealing the misdeeds and transgressions of others. When she receives a novel from an unknown author, she is horrified to realize she is now the main character in a story that exposes her darkest secrets. As Catherine races to uncover the writer’s true identity, she is forced to confront her past before it destroys both her own life and her relationships with her husband Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen) and their son Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee).
