Top of the World (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Top of the World examines Windows on the World, the renowned restaurant that occupied the 106th and 107th floors of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. The 40-minute documentary features firsthand voices including Michael Lomonaco, Kevin Zraly and Ruth Reichl, alongside a voice performance by Denis Leary.

Top of the World focuses on Windows on the World, the restaurant that occupied the 106th and 107th floors of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. Its subject places the film at the intersection of New York dining history and the memory attached to an iconic location.

Directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West, this 40-minute documentary uses interviews with figures connected to food, hospitality and the restaurant’s history. The film also includes Denis Leary voicing Joe Baum.

Top of the World movie details

Story without spoilers

The documentary explores Windows on the World and its place atop the World Trade Center. Rather than presenting a fictional narrative, it centers on the restaurant as a significant cultural and culinary location, drawing on the perspectives of Michael Lomonaco, Kevin Zraly, Ruth Reichl, Carol Jenkins, Nathalie Tolentino and Sekou Siby. Denis Leary appears in a voice role as Joe Baum.

What to expect

Top of the World is a concise documentary built around a specific New York landmark and the restaurant associated with it. Viewers can expect an examination of Windows on the World through self-identified participants and commentators, with the 40-minute runtime suggesting a focused treatment rather than an expansive feature-length history. The film’s subject also gives it a historical dimension tied to the World Trade Center’s North Tower.

Cast and creative team

Julie Cohen and Betsy West direct Top of the World. Michael Lomonaco, Kevin Zraly, Ruth Reichl, Carol Jenkins, Nathalie Tolentino and Sekou Siby appear as themselves. Denis Leary provides the voice of Joe Baum. No writers are listed in the supplied credits.

• Michael Lomonaco as Self
• Kevin Zraly as Self
• Ruth Reichl as Self
• Carol Jenkins as Self
• Nathalie Tolentino as Self
• Sekou Siby as Self
• Denis Leary as Joe Baum (voice)

Release and production context

Top of the World is a 2026 documentary from the United States, spoken in English. It has a runtime of 40 minutes and is listed with a release date of August 28, 2026. The production companies are CNN Films, Storyville Films, Tribeca Studios, TIME Studios, Montalto Pictures and Artemis Rising.

Production companies: CNN Films, Storyville Films, Tribeca Studios, TIME Studios, Montalto Pictures, Artemis Rising

Top of the World official trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube

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With its focused runtime and clearly defined subject, Top of the World presents Windows on the World as the central lens for considering one of the World Trade Center’s best-known public spaces. Its combination of firsthand appearances and a voice role for Joe Baum provides the documentary’s stated framework without extending beyond the restaurant’s documented setting.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb