I’ve been keeping a close eye on Hugh Jackman ever since he hung up the claws—well, mostly hung them up—and his latest movie, Song Sung Blue, feels like a deliberate step back toward the Oscars. The musical docudrama premiered at the 2025 AFI Film Festival on October 26, then opened theatrically on Christmas Day 2025. Now that we’re deep into 2026, I can look back at how this awards-season hopeful has fared, and honestly, it’s a mixed bag.
Directed by Craig Brewer, who also wrote the screenplay, Song Sung Blue is based on Greg Kohs’s 2008 documentary of the same name. It follows Mike and Claire Sardina, a married couple from Milwaukee who form a Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning & Thunder. Their story is part romance, part music, part emotional roller coaster. Jackman plays Mike, and Kate Hudson plays Claire. The supporting cast includes Michael Imperioli and Fisher Stevens. The film runs 132 minutes and is rated PG-13, blending drama, music, and romance.
When Song Sung Blue first screened, reviews trickled in slowly. By October 30, 2025, it had 10 critic reviews and an 80% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s a solid start—broadly meaning critics saw it as a good movie—but not a knockout. In a year as crowded as this one, “good” might not be enough.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the film’s key details:
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release date | December 25, 2025 |
| Runtime | 132 minutes |
| Director | Craig Brewer |
| Writers | Craig Brewer |
| Producers | John Davis, John Fox, Craig Brewer |
| Genres | Drama, Music, Romance |
| Rating | PG-13 |
| Lead cast | Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson |
| Supporting cast | Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens |
I think the biggest question is whether Song Sung Blue can turn strong performances into actual Oscar nominations. Jackman is, of course, a Broadway and musical-theater veteran. His last major Oscar moment was a Best Lead Actor nomination for 2012’s Les Misérables. He also starred in The Greatest Showman, and his stage work has made him a beloved figure in musical circles. So a return to the Academy Awards feels plausible on paper.
Kate Hudson is in a similar spot. She hasn’t been nominated since 2000’s Almost Famous, but her work in Song Sung Blue has kept her name in conversations about potential 2026 Best Lead Actress nominees. That said, she may face stiff competition from Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You and Amanda Seyfried for The Testament of Ann Lee. Those two performances seem to be the strongest ones not attached to an obvious Best Picture frontrunner. If Hudson gets in, it would be a wonderful comeback story. If she doesn’t, it won’t be for lack of trying.
The Best Picture race, however, is brutal. Song Sung Blue is competing against films like One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Hamnet, along with their acclaimed casts. Those movies have momentum, critical praise, and buzz that Song Sung Blue may not match. An 80% debut is respectable, but other Oscar hopefuls opened at 100% and stayed above 90% as more reviews arrived. Rotten Tomatoes scores can fluctuate, and early numbers don’t always predict the final outcome, but the trajectory matters.
From my perspective as a longtime awards-watcher, Song Sung Blue will probably be a highly enjoyable holiday release. Neil Diamond fans especially should get a kick out of it. The music, the romance, and the true-story foundation give it plenty of heart. But I don’t think it has the momentum to pay off in the way its team wants. The Academy loves musicals, but it also loves a narrative. This one may be too small, too gentle, and too late in the season to break through.
Still, I wouldn’t count Hugh Jackman out completely. He’s charismatic, hardworking, and clearly hungry for another shot at Oscar glory. Kate Hudson also reminds us why she became a star in the first place. Even if Song Sung Blue doesn’t become a major awards player, it adds two more interesting performances to their careers. And for anyone who loves Neil Diamond, Milwaukee nostalgia, or old-school musical romance, it’s worth a watch. 🎶
In the end, I see Song Sung Blue as a likeable, well-intentioned film that might land a few nominations if the season breaks its way. But Best Picture? Probably not. Jackman and Hudson may have to settle for critical affection rather than gold statues. And in 2026, with so many heavy hitters in the race, that might be the most realistic outcome.