focus features – The Comedy Bureau

Revel in The Quirky, Faded Postcard World in Trailer for Wes Anderson’s Latest “Asteroid City”

March 29, 2023

asteroid city, focus features, trailer, wes anderson

The coming a Wes Anderson movie is, at this point in the comedy auteur’s career, kind of an event. There’s nothing really like Anderson’s filmography anywhere else in cinema. Wes’ signature quiet, yet exuberant sense of humor lovingly displayed with soothing color palates and masterful symmetry offers a bright highlight to any moment in time that his movies come out.

Cue the release of the trailer for his latest film, Asteroid City.

Per usual, there are the spoils that come with any Wes Anderson film including a massive, glitzy ensemble cast, a cheeky modern reimagining of lands and times in the somewhat recent past, and beautifully wry dialogue. Asteroid City brings together the likes of Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Jake Ryan, Tony Revolori, and Jeff Goldblum and has the alluring feel of a vintage Route 66 postcard, tinged with irony that’s perfect for 2023.

From the looks of trailer, it looks to be exact film that the world would want from Wes after the pandemic. Get your first look/taste of Asteroid City here, then pine for a visit until its release on Jun. 16th.

Please Enjoy the Trailer for the Latest Mega Church Satire “HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL”

July 8, 2022

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focus features, honk for jesus, peacock, regina king, sterling k brown, trailer

If the season finale of The Righteous Gemstones left you starving for more unabashed satire of televangelist megachurches, then you’ll be thrilled to know that there’s something coming your way, just for you, in a couple of months via Focus Features/Peacock.

Sterling K. Brown and Regina King star in the upcoming Ebo Twins’ HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL., possibly the most fun movie title of 2022. The film follows a documentary being made about them as a televangelist power couple that is under severe scrutiny and controversy and are pulling out all their smoke and mirrors in order to make a comeback.

Of course, their version of the light of God is so blinding that they can’t see how ridiculous it is to ask for people to “HONK FOR JESUS”. The egomaniacal hijinks that ensue do look pretty fun here.

See the latest fun peering into the cracks of organized religion with HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL.’s first trailer here, then look for it in theaters and on Peacock starting Sept. 2nd.

Watch the Trailer for What Might Be the Most Touching Robot & Human Buddy Movie “Brian and Charles”

May 17, 2022

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brian and charles, chris hayward, david earl, focus features, louise brealey, trailer

While some see the singularity, the theoretical point in time where artificial intelligence over takes humanity, as an oncoming annihilation akin to The Matrix, there are other possibilities where the future allows for AI and humankind to co-exist peacefully. In fact, we may even up being friends. Think about all the iconic droids from the Star Wars universe and how that might potentially be more likely?

Well, while pondering that endless quandary, take a gander at the trailer for Brian and Charles, the Sundance hit that shows how an amateur inventor ends up Frankenstein-ing his own robot and, subsequently, his best friend. The trio of David Earl (Kev on Ricky Gervais’ Derek), Chris Hayward, and Louise Brealey, who all star in the movie, wrote such a charming, much more hopeful vision of the future with the washing-machine-bodied robot known as Charles. Again, while Black Mirror prescribes a future where robots hunt us, Brian and Charles seems like it has a bunch of heart between human & AI friends.

See for yourself with the first trailer for Brian and Charles here, then look for its release on Jun. 17th.

By the way, you can follow Charles the robot on Twitter @charlespetrescu.

Limbo Trailer Previews Syrian Refugee Comedy Set in Scotland

April 1, 2021

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ben sharrock, focus features, limbo

Limbo, by another name, could almost be “quarantine” (the sort that we have all been living through for the last year). While many don’t want to dwell on that, Limbo is also the name of what looks to be a delightful film from Ben Sharrock that’s coming to theaters later this month.

A Syrian refugee musician is at the center of the story that follows his journey in seeking asylum in a land so foreign to him, Scotland. From the trailer, there’s an up and off beat charm, the sort you might think of when thinking about indie comedies of yesteryear (i.e. before dramedy was the focus of most of the subgenre).

Go see for yourself here, then look for Limbo in theaters (no word on VOD or streaming yet) on Apr. 30th.

BLACKkKLANSMAN Trailer Sets Up What Could Be a Great Blaxploitation Satire

May 14, 2018

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adam driver, blackklansman, focus features, john david washington, trailer

Spike Lee’s latest offering, BLACKkKLANSMAN looks like the most cohesive and fun work he’s put out in awhile, which also happens to be based on a true story.

John David Washington and Adam Driver appear to be a nice 70s cop pairing amidst an undercover operation to undermine the KKK. Having Jordan Peele attached as EP is another point for the movie.

If you’re were obsessing over Donald Glover’s This Is America, this film might just be the perfect next thing for you to obsess over.

Just see for yourself in the trailer, then look for BLACKkKLANSMAN in theaters on August 10th.

Watch Trailer for Slick Thriller Dark Comedy “Thoroughbreds” (That Also Happens to Be One of Anton Yelchin’s Last Films)

December 1, 2017

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anton yelchin, anya taylor-joy, cory finley, focus features, olivia cooke, thoroughbreds, trailer

The impressively stylish and deliciously dark look of Cory Finley’s writer-director debut Thoroughbreds and Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke seeming like they serve up pitch perfect performances and the dark buddy murderer comedy premise are all good reasons to make a point of catching Thoroughbreds.

Also, the unfortunately late Anton Yelchin also stars here in a supporting role as one of his last roles before he died in a freak accident. Yelchin also seems like he delivers a fine performance in the film, which you probably won’t want to miss.

See for yourself in the trailer.

Thoroughbreds hits theaters in March 2018.

Focus Features Get Rights to Adapt Daniel Clowes’ Patience

December 13, 2016

Uncategorized

adaptation, daniel clowes, focus features, patience

Focus Features Get Rights to Adapt Daniel Clowes’ Patience

With Wilson on deck and this acquiring the rights to adapt Patience by Focus Features, we’re excited to see this uptick in Daniel Clowes based studio projects.

Patience in particular, with its ‘cosmic timewarp deathtrip’, might play out pretty damn well on the big screen, perhaps rivaling certain Marvel movies that have plenty of cosmic adventures through time and space, but don’t necessarily get into the emotional nuanes of Clowes’ characters and worlds.

Morning Debriefing 7/10/11

1) Paul Provenza & the Art of Stand-Up Comedy on NPR.

2) Steve Martin & Ed Helms with banjos for Rolling Stone [via Comedy Nerds United]

3) Curb Your Enthusiasm returns for it’s last season (maybe) tonight. HBO. 10PM.

4) Many wonder what, “Carmeggedon”, the shutting down of the 405 Freeway on July 16th will look like. Tony Sam and Aparna Nancherla help give us an idea.

5) Craig Vanswers whether he likes dogs (sort of…)

7) ON THE HORIZON

6) COMEDY CRAWL
Set List @ Flappers YooHoo Room 7PM $10/2 item min.
8 Ball Stand-Up @ Westwood Brew Co 7:30PM FREE
ASSSSCAT @ UCB Theatre 7:30PM FREE
Re-Animator: The Musical @ Steve Allen Theater 8PM $30
French Toast @ Taix 8:30PM FREE
Powerviolence @ The Complex 8:30PM FREE
Top Story Weekly! w/Greg Proops @ iO West 9PM $5
BIFF’s Flappers Funny Film Fest @ Flappers Burbank 9PM $10/2 item min.
Hot Sauce @ UCB Theatre 9:30PM $5 (stand by only)
Love Machine Comedy Show @ M Bar 10PM FREE/$10 min.
Skinny Sundays @ Hollywood Improv 9:30PM $14/2 item min.
Shitty Jobs @ UCB Theatre 11PM $5 (stand by only)

7) OPEN MIC RUN
PALMS 8572 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA/Starts 6PM/lottery
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, CA/Starts 6PM/$4 min./first come, first served
NERDIST THEATRE 7522 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA (back room of Meltdown Comics)/Sign-up 7:15PM/Starts 7:30PM/lottery/30 spots available/no purchase necessary
TSUNAMEDY @ TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA (Echo Park)/Sign-up 8PM/Starts 9PM/first come, first served/mixed mic
MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA (walk up Martel past Big Mama’s and Papa’s)/5PM to 11PM/$5/multiple sets allowed/bottled water and coffee available

8) Oh yeah, go see Beginners as soon as possible. Maybe not alone while nothing but happy couples sit around you and you’re clearly on the verge of crying, but you guys should go see it the first chance you get.

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