The feel-good charmer, steeped in Irish humor and flavor, premiered Sunday in front of an audience that was laughing and cheering, culminating with a standing ovation.

Hewson anchors Flora, playing a single mother juggling work and a challenging co-parenting relationship with her ex. In the Dublin-set feature about how music can re-energize life, she connects with her troubled teenaged son (Orén Kinlan) through a discarded guitar and also forms a bond with her online music teacher, played by Jospeh Gordon-Levitt.

With the acquisition, Apple gets to keep Hewson in the company fold. The streamer is behind Bad Sisters, a black comedy in which the actress stars and that debuted in fall 2022 to strong reviews. The tech giant is also in business with Gordon-Levitt, who stars in the streamer’s series Mr. Corman.

The movie is Carney’s first since his 2016 sensation Sing Street, which also premiered at Sundance. And just like Street, it too features original songs by Carney and his frequent collaborator, composer Gary Clark. Carney has become somewhat of a master of the musical drama movie business after breaking out with Once, the low-budget 2007 film that earned $23.3 million globally and won an Oscar for the song “Falling Slowly.”