Julia Roberts Welcomes Home Lucas Hedges In First ‘Ben Is Back’ Teaser

TIFF has a strong lineup of potential Oscar contenders playing next month, and one that has a lot of buzz is the family drama, Ben is Back. When you see the cast and the new teaser it’s clear why. Oscar winner Julia Roberts and Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges star in the latest from writer/director Peter Hedges, best known for offbeat films Dan in Real Life, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and my personal favorite from him, Pieces of April.

The first footage teases a happy family reunion, but clearly there’s danger lurking as well. We see Roberts and her daughter (Blockers‘ Kathryn Newton) surprised on Christmas Eve by the sudden arrival of the estranged Ben. While Roberts swiftly welcome him back with open arms, the daughter is warning her not to go to him, and the fear in her voice is very real.

Ben is Back co-stars Courtney B. Vance and Alexandra Park, and will hit theates on December 17th.