Chinese-American Director Sunny Zhao's The Gift Opens for Pre-Order on Apple TV
Chinese-American director Sunny Zhao announced on the evening of October 19 that his self-written, self-directed feature film The Gift (subtitled Fantaisie Impromptu) is now live on Apple TV for pre-order. Zhao made the announcement on his personal Facebook account with a link to the film's official Apple TV page; the film's official website now also carries a notice that the film is available for pre-order on Apple TV. According to the studio's earlier announcement, the film will be released online on October 26 in more than 50 countries and regions, with Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube pay-per-view among the launch platforms.
The official Apple TV page lists the film as a 2025 title with a runtime of 1 hour 25 minutes. The story follows Abigail Phillips, a ten-year-old girl on a farm in Virginia: after her mother's sudden passing, she discovers a forgotten piano in the woods, revealing a gift for music, and is sent by her father to Paris to become a concert pianist; meanwhile her father sets out to uncover the piano's mysterious origins across generations, in a story told through intertwined timelines. Abigail is played by Emma Barnett, who filmed the role from age 10 to 14 and a half, then returned at 21 after a six-year break to complete her remaining scenes; Elyse Dufour plays the adult Abigail and Jeffrey Klemmer plays her father.
The Gift is Sunny Zhao's feature directorial debut and took 12 years from the start of production to completion; it opened in U.S. theaters on November 7, 2025.
Following the announcement, Dan Metcalfe, who choreographed the soccer scenes for Hollywood films including Kicking & Screaming and She's the Man, recommended the film in a personal Facebook post, writing that he first saw it at a private screening three years ago and went back to see it again two weeks later, praising its cinematography as "incredible" and its story as touching. The Apple TV page does not yet display a pre-order price; viewers can pre-order through the film's official Apple TV page.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：电影《The Gift: Fantaisie Impromptu》Apple TV 官方主视觉（资料图片）。Photo: Official Apple TV key art for The Gift: Fantaisie Impromptu (file photo).
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