Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the double comedy act of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy dominated the classic Hollywood system as “Laurel & Hardy.” Nearly a century has passed since then, so now is as good a time as ever for the pair to get the Oscar-nominated biopic treatment. Hence Stan & Ollie, a new film from director Jon S. Baird and screenwriter Jeff Pope that casts Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly as the two title characters. Cynism aside, however, the latest trailer for the movie makes quite the case for it.
The first trailer, which British distributor Entertainment One dropped in September, provided a much broader look at what audiences should expect. The latest preview from American distributor Sony Pictures Classic, however, gives a much shorter and simpler look at the movie, which covers the final years of Laurel and Hardy’s careers. Per the new logline:
Diminished by age and with their golden era as the kings of Hollywood comedy now behind them, they face an uncertain future. As the charm and beauty of their performances shines through, they re-connect with their adoring fans… A portrait of the most tender and poignant of creative marriages, they are aware that they may be approaching their swan song, trying to rediscover just how much they mean to each other.
Stan & Ollie hits theaters in the United States just after Christmas on Friday, December 28th, which means American audiences will get to see it a few weeks before those in the United Kingdom.
