"How do you get to a moment like this? That's a long story...the Pulp story." That's how Jarvis Cocker opens the new trailer, answering his own question as the opening bars of "Common People" kick in. This marks the first full trailer released for Pulp's latest concert film, "What Do You Do For An Encore?," accompanied by the official poster and streaming release date.
The poster features a close-up torso shot of Cocker performing onstage, while the trailer intercuts footage from the 2025 live shows with backstage clips from the '90s.
The 90-minute film is directed by Garth Jennings — who previously helmed Pulp's iconic "Help The Aged" and "A Little Soul" music videos before going on to direct the 2005 sci-fi film "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy," and later writing the animated films "Sing" and "Sing 2." The film features narration from band members, rarely-seen behind-the-scenes footage, and live performances of 20 songs. As Cocker describes it in the trailer: "Songs contain pockets of energy from your past life, which are released when you perform them again. It's real time travel."
The production team includes producer Octavia Peissel, who previously worked on "Asteroid City," and editor Barney Pilling, known for cutting "The Grand Budapest Hotel." Cocker himself serves as executive producer, credited alongside Stuart Goldstein, Tom Healy, Rosie Taylor, Harper Simon, and Mark Sainsbury.
The release rollout unfolds in three stages: a limited one-night theatrical screening in the UK and Ireland on September 18, followed by a Canadian theatrical release on September 23, a US release on September 24, and exclusive MUBI streaming beginning September 25. The film has been compared to Talking Heads' iconic 1984 concert film "Stop Making Sense," combining the stage design from Pulp's recent tour with four decades' worth of archival footage — with the live segments drawn from the band's two sold-out shows at London's O2 Arena last year.
A companion live album of the same name will be released via Rough Trade on August 28. That same day, Pulp will play what they're calling their "only UK headline show" at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester, before headlining End Of The Road festival next month. The band also recently made a surprise live debut of "Common People" during the closing performance at Mad Cool 2026, timed to England's win over Norway.
