The Last Showgirl

Trailer, Teaser & Videos

Poster & Photos

Movie Details

Cast & Characters

• Pamela Anderson as Shelly Gardner, a successful seasoned showgirl
• Jamie Lee Curtis as Annette, Shelly’s waitress best friend and former showgirl
• Dave Bautista as Eddie, producer of the revue
• Brenda Song as Mary-Anne, a showgirl
• Kiernan Shipka as Jodie, a showgirl
• Billie Lourd as Hannah, Shelly’s daughter
• Jason Schwartzman as a director
• Linda Montana as Geo
• John Clofine as Poker Bro
• Giovani L. DiCandilo as Anthony
• Gypsy Wood as Female Plate Spinner
• Symone Bradley as Check-In Girl
• Melina Blitz as Child Dance Duo
• Eliseo Duque as Child Dance Duo
• Anlly Allen Aguilera as Showgirl
• Max Francisco as Showgirl
• Alexandria Franklin as Showgirl
• Stevie Heptig as Showgirl
• Sarah Johnston as Showgirl
• Charlotte O’Dowd as Showgirl
• Becs O’Hara as Showgirl
• Ferly Prado as Showgirl
• Lauren Slouffman as Showgirl
• Amber Snow as Showgirl
• Sammy Soto as Showgirl
• David Avne as Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
• Sean Patrick Bryan as Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
• Patrick Hilgart as Brad (uncredited)
• Jesse Phillips as Wardrobe Dresser (uncredited)

Storyline

A seasoned showgirl must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.

About The Last Showgirl Movie

Kate Gersten adapted the screenplay for The Last Showgirl from her unproduced play Body of Work, which was developed at Roundabout Theatre. Inspired by her visits to the Jubilee! show before its closure in 2016, Gersten’s play offered a structure that allowed for a contained, intimate movie.

Director Sofia Coppola appreciated this structure, noting that it helped maintain creative control and made the project feel more personal. She collaborated with her cousin, producer Robert Schwartzman, in 2021, opting for a modest budget and short shoot to preserve autonomy: “By staying intimate, I get to keep my creative autonomy. The play’s structure lends itself to a movie in that way—few locations and a small cast—so you can be insulated.”

The casting of Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, and Billie Lourd was announced in February 2024 after filming had wrapped. Coppola specifically wanted Anderson for the role of Shelly after watching her 2023 documentary Pamela, A Love Story.

Initially, Anderson’s agent rejected the script without informing her, but Coppola reached out to Anderson’s son Brandon, who passed the script on to his mother. Anderson, who had largely moved away from acting, was drawn to the character: “I’ve been handed a lot of scripts, but never a challenge like this. You don’t see parts like this when you’re working in your bathing suit. I heard her voice in my head and thought, ‘This is that thing people talk about when they know they have to do it.'”

Anderson likened the film’s style and her emotional trust with Coppola to the works of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands. Curtis agreed to join the cast when she learned Anderson was playing the lead, while Bautista was selected for his role after a conversation with Coppola about his interest in dramatic roles.

Principal photography took place in Las Vegas over 18 days on a budget of under $2 million. Coppola, inspired by nonfiction views of Vegas—particularly documentaries and the work of journalist and art critic Dave Hickey—avoided looking to other films for inspiration. She reunited with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who had worked with her on Palo Alto (2013) and Mainstream (2020).

Arkapaw shot The Last Showgirl on 16mm film to capture a raw, grainy quality, using handheld cameras and custom anamorphic lenses. The first scenes filmed were with Curtis, who had limited availability in January 2024.

The showgirl costumes worn by the cast were archival pieces designed by Peter Menefee and Bob Mackie, some of which were originally used in the actual Jubilee! revue.

The Last Showgirl Release Date

In May 2024, as the first look for The Last Showgirl was unveiled, Goodfellas and Utopia—co-founded by Coppola’s cousin once removed, Robert Schwartzman—announced their collaboration to handle international sales. The film had already attracted significant interest from distributors during the Marché du Film.

The film made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024, and was selected for the main competition slate at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival. On September 27, Roadside Attractions secured the distribution rights for the U.S. market. Shortly after, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions acquired all remaining international distribution rights, covering regions such as Latin America, France, Scandinavia, Greece, Portugal, Turkey, Israel, Eastern Europe (excluding Poland), Asia, and Africa.

The Last Showgirl opened in a single Los Angeles theater for a one-week run starting December 13, 2024, to qualify for the 97th Academy Awards, before receiving a wider release on January 10, 2025. The movie premiere at the Chinese Theatre, scheduled for January 9, was canceled due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

Budget & Box Office Collection

Soundtracks

Awards & Nominations

The film received two nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (Anderson) and Best Original Song for “Beautiful That Way”, and two at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Anderson) and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Curtis). Curtis additionally received a nomination at the British Academy Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.