The Gift Opens Online Worldwide on Oct. 26: Chinese-American Director Sunny Zhao's Music Drama Arrives After 12 Years in the Making
The studio behind The Gift announced on October 14 that the film will be released online on October 26, 2026. According to the film's official website, it will be available on Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube pay-per-view; the studio's announcement says the release will cover more than 50 countries and regions and will also include Amazon and Fandango at Home.
Subtitled "Fantaisie Impromptu," The Gift is written and directed by Sunny Zhao and marks his feature directorial debut. It tells the story of Abigail Phillips, a ten-year-old girl on a farm in Virginia who, after her mother's sudden passing, discovers a forgotten piano in the woods and reveals a gift for music; her father sends her to Paris to train as a concert pianist while he investigates the piano's origins, in a story told across intertwined timelines.
According to the film's official website, the production filmed on location across all four seasons over six years. Emma Barnett, who plays Abigail, began filming at age 10 and continued to 14 and a half; after a six-year break, she returned at 21 to complete the role, growing up on screen along with her character. The studio says the film took 12 years from the start of production to completion. Coverage of the film's premiere identifies Elyse Dufour as the adult Abigail, Jeffrey Klemmer as her father and Eric Brenner among the cast.
According to Hollywood First Look and LRM Online, the film previously held its world premiere in Hollywood and opened in U.S. theaters on November 7, 2025. Hollywood First Look's premiere interviews with the director and cast are available on YouTube.
The film's official channels include its website, thegift-film.com; the Facebook page "The Gift-Fantaisie Impromptu"; the Instagram account @thegift_fantaisie_impromptu; the X account @FantaisieGift; and director Sunny Zhao's Instagram account, @sunnyzhao88.
关联：Chinese-American Director Sunny Zhao's The Gift Opens for Pre-Order on Apple TV
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 电影《The Gift》官方海报（片方提供）
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