First look at Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci’s heartbreaking dementia love story Supernova will leave you ugly crying

Stanley Tucci Colin Firth Supernova

Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci play a gay couple whose time together is coming to an end due to a dementia diagnosis in the trailer for upcoming queer drama Supernova.

Supernova follows Sam (Firth) and Tusker (Tucci) as they journey around England in a camper van visiting friends, family and places from their past.

The couple’s journey is an important one as it comes just two years after Tusker is diagnosed with early onset dementia.

In the first trailer, which was released on Tuesday (22 September), Tusker asks Sam: “If you had one wish in the world, what would it be?”

“I wish this holiday wouldn’t end,” Sam replies.

Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth have been praised by critics for their powerful performances in Supernova.

In the trailer, Sam and Tusker navigate the challenges that come with a diagnosis of early-onset dementia.

In one particularly heart-wrenching scene, Tusker tells Sam: “I want to be remembered for who I was, and not for who I’m about to become.”

Both Tucci and Firth are already winning critical acclaim for their powerful performances ahead of the film’s premiere Thursday (24 September) at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.

Variety critic Guy Lodge praised Firth’s performance, saying he “may have turned in the performance of his career” as Sam in Supernova.

“Whatever warmth it leaves you with is rightly undercut with a plunging, unshakeable streak of sorrow,” he added.

Meanwhile, The Guardian‘s film critic Peter Bradshaw said Tucci and Firth have “a sweet and gentle chemistry” on-screen presence in a four-star review.

Twitter reacted in a chorus of joy and sadness as the trailer bounded across social media on Tuesday, with many eagerly anticipating having a good cry when it’s released.

Their real-life friendship helped them play a gay couple on-screen.

Speaking about the film ahead of its premiere, Firth and Tucci told Deadline that their on-screen romance was informed by their real life 20-year friendship.

Tucci said their long friendship helped them to convey a powerful connection when playing a couple in the upcoming film.

“Oh, it made a huge difference, I think,” Tucci said. “Colin’s a great actor and he was right for it, but also there’s a shorthand you have with friends that’s very hard to achieve with someone you don’t know.

“Actors are good at it; you make friends very quickly and you have these relationships that sort of happen instantaneously because you’re in these intense situations together.”

Meanwhile, Firth said: “In the 20 years we’ve known each other, it has gone through many shades, because a lot of it has been frivolous and fun, but we’ve also seen each other through hard times.”