“That’s what movies are for us — pieces of time,” says megawatt movie star Jay Kelly‘s (George Clooney) recently deceased mentor played by Jim Broadbent. In the first official trailer for the eponymous film, from Noah Baumbach, the dazzling screen legend is found at a crossroads, examining the contents of his life and career.
Releasing in select theaters Nov. 14 and debuting on Netflix Dec. 5, the dramedy — co-written by Baumbach and Emily Mortimer — follows its famed eponym as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery. As he confronts his past, present and future, surrounding him — aside from flocks of fans — are devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler), his semi-estranged daughters (Grace Edwards, Riley Keough) and beleaguered publicist Liz (Laura Dern).
After taking stock of his personal and professional choices, relationships and the legacy he is set to leave behind, Jay Kelly impulsively sets off on a whirlwind adventure through Europe with Ron, who is deeply embedded in his life.
Billy Crudup, Stacy Keach, Patrick Wilson, Eve Hewson, Greta Gerwig, Alba Rohrwacher, Josh Hamilton, Lenny Henry, Nicôle Lecky, Thaddea Graham, Isla Fisher, Louis Partridge, Charlie Rowe and Mortimer round out the cast. Producers are David Heyman, Amy Pascal and Baumbach, and the film features an original score by Nicholas Britell.
The official trailer comes a month after the streamer dropped a first-look teaser and on the day of the pic’s New York Film Festival premiere. Jay Kelly made its world debut at the Venice Film Festival, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation. Star Clooney was unable to attend the film’s press conference and premiere due to a sinus infection.
Reviews out of the fest were largely positive, with praise for Clooney’s performance. Deadline’s own take noted the project “manages to find its own identity in the movies-about-movies genre, making it fresh, smart and quite welcome.”
