Searchlight puts Behemoth! song forward for Oscar race
Searchlight Pictures will put “Your God Is Sleeping” from “Behemoth!” forward for the Oscar for best original song, the Academy’s award for music written specially for a film. Variety learned of the plan exclusively and reported it on 1 October 2026. It is a clear choice. The decision names the studio’s song pick before the film has reached most viewers.
“Behemoth!” is a drama written and directed by Tony Gilroy. Pedro Pascal stars as Alex Serian, a gifted musician and cellist who returns home to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road. The story follows that return. The song comes from inside it.
“Your God Is Sleeping” was written by singer and songwriter Lukas Frank. Frank is one of nine composers on the film. The nine are credited together as the Behemoth! Collective. In practice that means the score is shared work, with Frank’s song now put forward for awards consideration.
There are two versions to know. The version used in the film is one. Frank prepared a separate radio mix with producer Dave Sardy for the soundtrack album. A radio mix, in plain terms, is a version shaped for listening outside the cinema, on headphones and speakers rather than with dialogue and sound effects. It is distinct from the film version.
What makes this stand out is the early signal. Searchlight has settled on its song contender before audiences can judge the scene it comes from. For fans, this means listen twice. Hear it in the story first. Then hear what Frank and Sardy changed for the record. The focus stays on the music.
“Behemoth!” will premiere at the New York Film Festival, its first formal screening for a festival audience. Searchlight will then release it in theatres on 4 Dec, according to Variety. The song campaign will run through that release, as Academy voters weigh which original songs advance.
A submission is not a nomination. It simply puts the song into the race for consideration. Academy members who vote on music will decide whether it moves forward. That process plays out over the coming months.
