The vast majority of Hollywood writers fly quietly under the radar without ever making much noise, but that hasn't been the case for Diablo Cody from day one. Winning an Oscar early on for the Ellen Page comedy Juno, Cody's distinct writing style has earned her legions of fans, and just as many detractors. Like many high-profile screenwriters before her, she's set to make her directorial debut with Paradise (formerly Lamb of God), and after dropping a handful of images recently, we now have the first trailer.
Julianne Hough stars as Lamb, a young conservative woman raised by strict parents (Holly Hunter and Nick Offerman), who survives a plane crash only to find that more than just her body has been scarred. Her faith shattered, she ventures to Las Vegas to indulge in all of the sin she's been missing out on. Russell Brand plays an all-knowing bartender who helps her along, and Octavia Spencer co-stars as another willing to lift Lamb's spirits. Right away it's clear that Cody has something she wants to say about the effects of a fundamentalist upbringing, and while some may not appreciate her message, she seems to be delivering it in a fun and crowd-pleasing way.
Paradise opens on August 8th on DirecTV before hitting theaters October 8th.
