Long one of Robert De Niro's passion projects, the dark comedy The Comedian (which has nothing to do with the Watchmen character) finally arrives without a lot of buzz. That's a little odd considering the obvious thematic connection to one of his most iconic performances, that of aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin in 1983's The King of Comedy. Now all of these years later he's back in the world of insult comedy and the first trailer for The Comedian is ready to take the stage.
Directed by Taylor Hackford and co-starring Leslie Mann, the film follows a comic in his twilight years who tries to make a comeback as an insult comic. Comedian Jeffrey Ross, known for his biting quips at Comedy Central roasts, lent some of his humor to the script. Here's the synopsis:
An aging comic icon, Jackie, has seen better days. Despite his efforts to reinvent himself and his comic genius, the audience only wants to know him as the former television character he once played. Already a strain on his younger brother and his wife, Jackie is forced to serve out a sentence doing community service for accosting an audience member. While there, he meets Harmony (Leslie Mann), the daughter of a sleazy Florida real estate mogul, and the two find inspiration in one another, resulting in surprising consequences.
Also starring Danny DeVito, Edie Falco, Veronica Ferres, Charles Grodin, Cloris Leachman, Patti LuPone, Lois Smith, and Harvey Keitel, The Comedian opens December 2nd in limited release and wide on January 13th 2017.
