The Breadwinner (2026 film)

The Breadwinner is a 2026 American comedy film directed by Eric Appel and written Nate Bargatze and Dan Lagana. The film follows a father of three (Bargatze, in his film debut) who must hold down the house while his wife (Mandy Moore) is on a business trip. Colin Jost, Zach Cherry, Martin Herlihy, Kumail Nanjiani, and Will Forte also star.

The film will be released in the United States on May 29, 2026. The film received negative reviews from critics.

After his wife lands a deal on Shark Tank, Nate Wilcox has to become a stay-at-home dad.

• Nate Bargatze as Nate Wilcox
• Mandy Moore as Katie Wilcox, Nate's wife
• Will Forte as Keegan
• Colin Jost as Conor Ashford
• Kumail Nanjiani as Peyton
• Zach Cherry as Dan, Nate's boss
• Kate Berlant as Angela Ashford
• Martin Herlihy as Peter
• Stella Grace Fitzgerald as Gracie Wilcox, Nate and Katie's oldest daughter
• Birdie Borria as Hadley Wilcox, Nate and Katie's middle daughter
• Charlotte Ann Tucker as Sam Wilcox, Nate and Katie's youngest daughter
• Maddox Batson as Brian
• Brett Cullen as Walter Wilcox
• Brian Bates as Trash Collector #2

In November 2024, TriStar Pictures acquired the rights to Nate Bargatze’s The Breadwinner, a preemptive acquisition while the screenplay was still being written. Wonder Project, a conservative faith-based production company, partnered to produce the movie. In February 2025, it was announced that Eric Appel would direct the film. In May 2025, Mandy Moore, Will Forte, Colin Jost, Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Cherry, Kate Berlant, and Martin Herlihy were cast in the film. Principal photography began on May 22, 2025, in Atlanta. Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson composed the film's score, after having collaborated with Appel on Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.

The Breadwinner was first released in the Philippines on May 27. 2026, and in the United States on May 29, 2026. It was previously scheduled to release on March 13, 2026.

In the United States and Canada, The Breadwinner is projected to gross around $8 million from 3,300 theaters in its opening weekend.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 31% of 13 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 32 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.

• The Breadwinner at IMDb