Exclusive Trailer for James N. Kienitz Wilkins' The Misconceived, Scheduled for Release in May

      We are excited to exclusively announce that Monument Releasing has acquired James N. Kienitz Wilkins’ The Misconceived, which made its debut in the Harbour section at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and most recently premiered in the U.S. as the Opening Night feature of the Museum of the Moving Image’s First Look 2026. Monument Releasing plans to kick off a U.S. theatrical release with a special 35mm showing at Anthology Film Archives from May 8 to 14. Along with the acquisition news, we are pleased to exclusively unveil the film's first trailer and poster.

      The Misconceived, written in collaboration with Robin Schavoir, is a tragicomedy about millennials approaching forty. This feature film, created using 3D rendering, focuses on home renovation while serving as a sharp and humorous commentary on the working conditions of today's creative class.

      The cast includes Jesse Wakeman (Donald Cried, Bruce!!!!), Jess Barbagallo, John Magary (Between the Temples), and Callie Hernandez (La La Land, Alien: Covenant). The film is executive produced by Joey Frank (Manda Bala [Send a Bullet]) and produced by Emily Davis and James N. Kienitz Wilkins (The Republic).

      In his IFFR review, Rory O’Connor remarked, “Seven years after working together on The Plagiarists, writers James N. Kienitz Wilkins and Robin Schavoir return with The Misconceived—yet another sharp, innovative film addressing the anxieties of the not-quite-successful creative class. Directed by Peter Parlow, the previous film utilized the conventions of found-footage horror to explore untested urban liberalism and the dual pressures of artistic authenticity and writer's block. The Misconceived—characterized in promotional materials as a biting satire—truly lives up to that description, presenting a somewhat challenging visual style while delving into similarly rich thematic territory and offering significant formal experimentation.”

      James N. Kienitz Wilkins (director/co-writer) is a filmmaker, artist, and writer based in New York City. His work has enjoyed a broad screening history, with premieres at notable film festivals such as TIFF, Berlinale, NYFF, Locarno, Rotterdam, CPH:DOX, ND/NF, Viennale, MoMA Doc Fortnight, and others. He was featured in the 2017 Whitney Biennial. His work has also been showcased in retrospectives at RIDM (Montreal, 2017) and Metrograph Cinema (NYC, 2024). His filmography includes Still Film (2023), The Plagiarists (2019), The Republic (2017), Common Carrier (2017), and Public Hearing (2012). His writing has been published in Filmmaker Magazine, Triple Canopy, the Brooklyn Rail, and MUBI Notebook.

      Check out the exclusive premiere of the trailer and poster below.