Long Shot is being billed as a romantic comedy starring Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron, but having seen the film (it premiered at South by Southwest last week), it deserves to be known as further proof that O’Shea Jackson Jr. should be in everything. Directed by Jonathan Levine (50/50), Long Shot follows journalist Fred Flarsky (Rogen), who gets hired by Charlotte Field, his former-babysitter, current-U.S. Secretary of State (Theron), to be her speechwriter while she runs for president. Rogen’s blundering makes for a nice comedic opposite to the stately Theron, but it’s Jackson, Jr., as Flarsky’s best friend, who steals the movie. Between Long Shot (the new red band trailer for which you can watch above) and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the Straight Outta Compton actor is going to have a big year. Well deserved, too.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) is a gifted and free-spirited journalist with an affinity for trouble. Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) is one of the most influential women in the world. Smart, sophisticated, and accomplished, she’s a powerhouse diplomat with a talent for… well, mostly everything. The two have nothing in common, except that she was his babysitter and childhood crush. When Fred unexpectedly reconnects with Charlotte, he charms her with his self-deprecating humor and his memories of her youthful idealism. As she prepares to make a run for the Presidency, Charlotte hires Fred as her speechwriter, much to the dismay of her trusted advisors. A fish out of water on Charlotte’s elite team, Fred is unprepared for her glamorous lifestyle in the limelight. However, sparks fly as their unmistakable chemistry leads to a round-the-world romance and a series of unexpected and dangerous incidents.
Long Shot, which also stars Bob Odenkirk, Alexander Skarsgard, Andy Serkis, Randall Park, June Diane Raphael, and Ravi Patel opens on May 3.
