Trailer for Fairyland Unveils a Poignant Father-Daughter Tale Set Against 1970s San Francisco

Lionsgate has dropped the official trailer for Fairyland, a deeply personal and emotionally resonant drama written and directed by Andrew Durham, adapted from Alysia Abbott’s acclaimed memoir Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father. The film is set for a theatrical release on October 10, 2025, and already stands out as a major contender in the fall awards season.

 

Starring Emilia Jones (CODA) as Alysia and Scoot McNairy as her father, Steve Abbott, the film traces the duo’s unconventional journey after the sudden death of Alysia’s mother. The pair relocate to 1970s San Francisco, where Steve, a poet and aspiring writer, begins to openly embrace his identity as a gay man amidst the city’s thriving bohemian subculture.

 

Produced by Oscar winner Sofia Coppola, Fairyland explores the complex balance between artistic freedom, sexual liberation, and the responsibilities of parenting. As Steve immerses himself in the counterculture of the time—navigating poetry circles, queer communities, and romantic relationships—Alysia experiences both the freedom and emotional strain of growing up in a household shaped by non-traditional values and public scrutiny.

 

The film’s emotional core revolves around Alysia’s journey from childhood into young adulthood, as she begins to question the very independence she was raised to cherish. That bond is further tested as the story moves into the 1980s, where the AIDS epidemic begins to decimate the queer community, including those closest to her father.

 

Fairyland boasts a stellar supporting cast including Cody Fern, Maria Bakalova, Bella Murphy, Nessa Dougherty, Adam Lambert, and Geena Davis. The trailer hints at a tender yet unflinching look at grief, identity, and love—woven through one of America’s most pivotal cultural eras.

 

With its powerful subject matter, literary roots, and emotionally layered performances, Fairyland is already being hailed as one of the must-watch films of 2025.

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