Green Day is bringing its punk rock energy to the big screen. The legendary band has produced a new comedy film called ‘Nimrods’ , which arrives in U.S. theaters on August 14, 2026. The movie draws from the band’s own experiences on the road before they became global stars.
The film follows three teenage musicians who drive across the country after a prank makes them believe they will open for Green Day on New Year’s Eve. It is not a biopic but a fictional story shaped by real moments from the band’s early touring years.
What ‘Nimrods’ Is About
‘Nimrods’ centers on Tommy, a high school student played by Mason Thames. Tommy gets a phone call saying his band has been invited to open for Green Day at the Hollywood Palladium on New Year’s Eve. He does not know that his older brother Wayne, played by Keen Ruffalo, made it all up as a joke.
Desperate to believe his life is about to change, Tommy steals his brother’s car and drives his band from Kansas City to Los Angeles. They have three days to get there. The trip turns into a rowdy adventure across America.
The film runs for 1 hour and 56 minutes and carries an R rating.
Cast and Crew
Lee Kirk wrote and directed the film. The cast includes:
- Mason Thames as Tommy
- Kylr Coffman as Fred
- Ryan Foust as Chad
- Mckenna Grace in a supporting role
- Jenna Fischer as Tommy’s mother
- Angela Kinsey
- Fred Armisen
- Bobby Lee
- Sean Gunn
Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool make cameo appearances in the film. They also served as producers alongside Ryan Kroft, Michael Rapino from Live Nation Entertainment, Tim Perell and Jonathan Daniel.
Inspired by Real Road Stories
The movie takes its name from Green Day’s 1997 album ‘Nimrod’ , which reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200. But the connection goes deeper than the title.
Band members have said the film contains many moments drawn from their own experiences on the road. Before ‘Dookie’ made them famous in 1994, Green Day spent years touring in a van and playing small shows.
“There’s a lot of Easter eggs throughout the whole record of things that parallel things that happened to us when we were touring in a van back in the day,” bassist Mike Dirnt said. “That’s really fun for the fans to pick up on and cherry-pick those moments. But if you’re not a fan, there’s still interesting moments regardless of where it came from or not… there’s a lot of our lives in there.”
Drummer Tré Cool recalled how the band’s early adventures have become movie material.
“You never know when you’re living those moments in your life and you’re doing cool stuff, you don’t realize in that moment that this is going to be a bitching scene in a movie some day.”
Armstrong on Film Influences
Billie Joe Armstrong said the comedy draws from classic films he grew up watching.
“I’ve always had a part teenage brain, part teenage heart or whatever. So, those are some of my favorite movies, so we definitely used that as an influence.”
The singer mentioned ‘Rushmore’ and the work of director John Hughes as key influences. He also pointed to punk and rock movies like the Ramones’ ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll High School’ , the Beatles’ ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ and the Who’s ‘Quadrophenia’ as inspiration.
Armstrong said he has always wanted to make a Green Day film.
“God, ever since the beginning, just all my heroes have always done films, whether it was Rock ‘n’ Roll High School by the Ramones or [the Beatles’] A Hard Day’s Night, the Who’s Quadrophenia. I just wanted to do the same thing.”
The Spirit of Punk Rock on Screen
Mike Dirnt said the film tries to capture the band’s youthful energy and rock-and-roll attitude.
“We had nothing to lose and we wanted to go out and take over the world. If that meant playing for six people, that’s great, if it lands at 68,000 later on, that’s still great. But I just think the spirit is there, the spirit of rock and roll really.”
The movie does not focus on phones or social media. Instead, it shows a time when young musicians had to rely on themselves and their friends to make things happen.
Armstrong spoke about the mindset needed to be in a band.
“You have to be delusional to be in a band. It takes a certain kind of dreamer. I remember trying to get that first gig. It was like, ‘Oh, my God, if we could only get out of this living room and then play our first show at Gilman.”
Dirnt added:
“That was the thing we had that we could call our own. When people are playing music together at a young age, that may be all that they have, but that’s their emotional vessel. That’s their out.”
Music Plays a Central Role
The film features 22 songs from Green Day’s catalog. The soundtrack includes both well-known hits and deeper cuts.
Armstrong noted that some songs worked better than expected in certain scenes.
“Some stuff like ‘Basket Case’ would be kind of obvious, but I was really surprised at how well the deep cuts came in,” he said. “At one scene, the car is driving down the highway, and you hear a song called ‘Haushinka,’ which was unexpected, but it fit so perfectly.”
The band also recorded a new song for the film. They released ‘Corvette Summer’ as part of the original soundtrack.
Not Just for Green Day Fans
The band members have made it clear that the film works for everyone, not just their followers.
“You don’t have to be a Green Day fan to love this movie. You can just love this movie and you’ll probably end up liking Green Day after, I hope,” Cool said.
The movie has been described as having a vibe similar to teen hangout films like ‘Dazed & Confused’ and ‘SLC Punk’ .
Release Details
‘Nimrods’ opens in U.S. theaters on August 14, 2026. The film will also receive a limited release in Indonesia from August 19 to 23, 2026. Italian audiences can catch it from August 11 to 18, 2026.
The film originally premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival under the title ‘New Year’s Rev’ .
Live Nation Studios produced the film, with Inaugural Entertainment handling distribution. Legion M , a fan-owned entertainment company, also partnered on the project.
Related:
A New Chapter for Green Day
Green Day rose to fame with their 1994 album ‘Dookie’ and have since become one of the best-selling punk rock bands in history. They have won four Grammy Awards and inspired a Broadway musical with ‘American Idiot’ .
With ‘Nimrods’ , the band steps into filmmaking for the first time. The movie arrives in theaters just as the band continues to tour and release new music.
For those who want to see the film with a special touch, some screenings will feature a recorded introduction by Green Day and never-before-seen performances of three deep-cut tracks.
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