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There are some stories that are too crazy to make up. Such is the case for Ron Howard's Eden, which premieres this week at the Toronto International Film Festival. The new movie follows a group of Europeans who settle on the island of Floreana, in the Galápagos, in the 1930s. Together, the characters feel like a glamorized version of Lord of the Flies — especially when an inevitable power struggle begins.
“You’d be shocked at how accurate the movie actually is,” Howard tells Vanity Fair. “What was chilling about this story is that a handful of people went there and half of them either died or vanished—and that’s intense. That’s like a season of Survivor where people really don’t make it.”
Here's everything you need to know about the new movie — and your first look at the characters!
What is the movie Eden about?
Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his wife Dora (Vanessa Kirby) enjoy their isolated life in Floreana. They're able to live exactly how they please, creating their perfect home, complete with a garden and animals. But when Margret (Sydney Sweeney), Heinz (Daniel Brühl), & Harry (Jonathan Tittel) and The Baronness (Ana de Armas) arrive on the island, the Ritters' dream is disrupted.
“When you meet [these characters], they’re offbeat, even eccentric, kind of funny—you don’t know what they’re going to do next,” Howard continues. “They’re certainly unpredictable. And yet, as that pressure test intensifies, they actually become dangerous. You really do wonder who’s going to prevail as they strive to try to redefine themselves in this place.”
Where can I watch Eden?
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Eden is coming to theaters August 22, 2025. It first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Who's in the cast of Eden?
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The Eden cast truly has some of the biggest A-listers right now:
- Jude Law as Dr. Friedrich Ritter: Dora's husband and a doctor.
- Vanessa Kirby as Dora: Ritter's wife.
- Ana de Armas as Eloise Bosquet: a Baronness.
- Sydney Sweeney as Margret
- Daniel Brühl as Heinz
- Jonathan Tittel as Harry
- Felix Kammerer
- Toby Wallace
Where was Eden filmed?
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Eden began filming in Queensland, Australia in November 2023.
Is Eden the movie based on a true story?
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Yes, the film is inspired by the real European settlers who come to Ecuador's Floreana Island in the late 1920s/early 1930s.
Craving more thrills? See 8 "Gripping" Mystery & Thriller Books To Read This Summer for more!
This post has been updated.
