Premiere - Guru: Paris Premiere Reveals Yann Gozlan’s Dark Vision of Modern Faith

By Mulder, Paris, Forum des Images, 15 january 2026

On Wednesday, January 15, 2026, the Forum des Images in Paris hosted the highly anticipated screening of Guru, as part of the AlloCiné club, of which our media outlet is proud to be a member. As soon as the audience arrived, the atmosphere hinted at a special evening, marked by genuine critical anticipation surrounding this new project by Yann Gozlan, announced in March 2024. The packed theater and the almost religious silence preceding the screening already reflected the curiosity aroused by a film that promised to explore the murky areas of our contemporary society, between collective fascination and individual excesses.

After the screening, a discussion with the director and Pierre Niney shed light on the film's deeper intentions. The discussions quickly highlighted the extent to which Guru is part of a reflection on the need for guidance, the search for meaning, and the appeal of charismatic figures capable of uniting, or even manipulating, people. Yann Gozlan spoke of a desire for cinema that is confrontational and uncomfortable, while Pierre Niney discussed the construction of a deliberately ambiguous character, never totally cynical, but dangerously convinced that he is doing good.

The film follows the journey of Mathieu Vasseur, known as Matt, a personal development coach who has become one of the most influential men in France. Against a backdrop of widespread mistrust of politics and religion, his message promises collective catharsis and individual success as the ultimate ideal. Very quickly, his hold over the masses begins to worry the authorities and observers, while criticism mounts. Cornered, Matt embarks on a headlong rush that leads him to the brink of paranoia, madness, and all-consuming glory, in a downward spiral that the film depicts with chilling precision.

Pierre Niney delivers an impressive performance full of mastery and tension in the role. The actor, who was the inspiration for the film, drew on obvious references, notably the characters played by Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler and Tom Cruise in Magnolia. These influences are evident in his gestures, gaze, and speech, but are reappropriated to give birth to a figure deeply rooted in the French media and societal landscape, making the message all the more disturbing.

The screenplay was co-written by Yann Gozlan and Jean-Baptiste Delafon, who previously collaborated on Visions in 2023. This new partnership extends their shared interest in the mechanisms of psychological manipulation and mental aberrations, while taking on a more spectacular scale. The production brings together Wassim Beji for WY Productions, alongside Pierre Niney and Marc-Henri de Busschère via Ninety Films, in co-production with StudioCanal, M6 Films, and the Belgian company Panache Productions, guaranteeing the project both artistic and industrial scope.

For the sake of credibility, the production called on Élisabeth Feytit as a technical advisor to make the mechanisms of mass coaching and collective manipulation tangible. Her involvement made it possible to reveal these mechanisms without oversimplification, while retaining an essential nuance: the main character sincerely believes in what he is doing and sees himself as a helper. Filming took place from November 2024 to February 2025 in Paris, its suburbs—notably at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport—and Las Vegas, reinforcing the spectacular and international dimension of the story.

Alongside Pierre Niney, the cast includes Marion Barbeau, Anthony Bajon, Holt McCallany, Christophe Montenez, Jonathan Turnbull, Raphaëlle Simon, Tracy Gotoas, Léonie Simaga, Manon Kneusé, Paul Scarfoglio, Leanna Chea, Deborah Grall, Laurie Catherine Winkel, and Pascaline Chotard, who bring a real human depth to this story of collective fascination. Antoine Sanier's cinematography, Grégoire Sivan's editing, and Chloé Thévenin's music contribute to creating a constant, almost insidious tension that accompanies the viewer until the very last frame.

Distributed by StudioCanal, Guru will be released in French theaters on January 28, 2026, with a running time of 126 minutes, after being presented at the Cannes Film Market in May 2025 for international distribution. This Paris premiere at the Forum des Images already confirms the film as one of the most anticipated French psychological thrillers of the year.

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Synopsis :
Matt is France's most popular personal development coach. In a society searching for meaning, where individual success has become sacred, he offers his followers a catharsis that electrifies crowds as much as it worries the authorities. Under fire from critics, Matt embarks on a headlong rush that will take him to the brink of madness and perhaps glory...

Guru
Directed by Yann Gozlan
Written by Jean-Baptiste Delafon, Yann Gozlan
Produced by Wassim Beji, Pierre Niney, Marc-Henri de Busschère
Starring  Pierre Niney, Marion Barbeau, Anthony Bajon, Christophe Montenez, Holt McCallany, Jonathan Turnbull, Raphaëlle Simon, Tracy Gotoas, Léonie Simaga, Manon Kneusé , Paul Scarfoglio , Leanna Chea , Deborah Grall , Laurie Catherine Winkel, Pascaline Chotard
Cinematography : Antoine Sanier
Edited by Gregoire Sivan
Music by Chloé Thévenin
Production companies : WY Productions, Ninety Films, StudioCanal, Panache Productions, M6 Films
Distributed by StudioCanal (France)
Release date : 28 January 2026 (France)
Running time : 126 minutes

I dedicate this news to Yannick Pavelck, who made this evening unforgettable for many.

Photos and video: Boris Colletier / Mulderville