Tom Waits surfaces in debut trailer for Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine

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Tom Waits returns to a major screen ensemble this fall, joining an A-list cast in Martin McDonagh’s new film Wild Horse Nine. For fans tracking his rare musical output, the timing is notable: the gravel-voiced songwriter has spent the past decade and a half prioritizing film roles, and now has both a high-profile movie and a confirmed new studio recording on the horizon.

Set against a late-1970s backdrop, the film follows two CIA operatives whose covert plan to destabilize Chile launches them toward an unlikely destination: Easter Island. The story tests loyalties and loyalties’ limits, and Waits appears as the brother of John Malkovich’s character, a casting choice McDonagh told Vanity Fair adds instant gravity to a scene when Waits first appears.

What to know about the film and cast

The ensemble surrounding Waits underlines how seriously McDonagh approached this project. Alongside Waits are veterans who bring very different energies to the screen — John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell headline as the two agents, while Steve Buscemi and Parker Posey fill out the supporting ranks.

Title: Wild Horse Nine

Director: Martin McDonagh

Key cast: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey, Tom Waits

Setting: 1970s; plot involves a covert operation tied to Chile and Easter Island

Release: In theaters beginning November 6

Waits’ screen work — a deliberate detour from albums

Although celebrated first as a singer-songwriter, Waits has steadily cultivated a parallel career in film. This is his second collaboration with McDonagh after a role in 2012’s Seven Psychopaths, and he has since appeared in projects by high-profile directors: the Coen brothers’ anthology piece, David Lowery’s crime drama, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s period coming-of-age film. Most recently he reunited with long-time collaborator Jim Jarmusch on a family anthology.

That sustained focus on acting helps explain why Waits hasn’t released a full studio album in more than a decade. His last LP, released in 2011, coincided with his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; subsequent musical appearances have been sporadic.

Music updates that matter to fans

After occasional one-off recordings and collaborations — including a 2018 track with Marc Ribot and a cover tribute to Blind Willie Johnson — Waits is set to appear on a Shane MacGowan tribute album. Industry notices suggest this will be his first proper studio recording in eight years, a development that reopens questions about whether he’ll return to regular releases.

The dual momentum — a high-profile film role and a fresh studio appearance — creates renewed interest in Waits’ career choices and the timing of any future music projects.

Quick timeline

2011 — Last studio album released; Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction

2012 — Appeared in Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths

2018 — Collaborated with Marc Ribot on “Bella Ciao”

2026 — Confirmed contribution to Shane MacGowan tribute; appears in Wild Horse Nine, in theaters November 6

For readers, the immediate significance is twofold: cinematic — seeing Waits’ presence shape a major director’s latest ensemble piece — and musical — his newly confirmed studio recording suggests he may be warming back toward recorded work after a long pause. Both developments will be closely watched by longtime fans and critics alike.

McDonagh’s casting choice underscores a wider trend in contemporary filmmaking: directors seeking performers whose personas carry as much narrative weight as their lines. With Waits, the presence is as much a storytelling device as any plot point — and this November will be the first public showing of how that choice plays out on screen.