It remains an event each and every time there is a new film by Joel and Ethan Coen. At this point, I feel bad for ever having doubted them. I may not have liked “The Ladykillers” or “Intolerable Cruelty” at all, and it may have felt like they had run out of gas in a major way, but thankfully they caught a second wind that has led to a rich and varied list of films over the last few years.
What I love about this first look at “Hail Caesar!” is the era they're playing with. I love the studio system of the '50s as a backdrop, and there is so much about the trailer that delights me that I feel like it's going to be one of those Coen movies we can revisit over and over and over and still find new things in it each time.
First, there's George Clooney as a big dumb movie star. Then there's Scarlett Johansson as an Esther Williams style star. And Channing Tatum as a song and dance man. And Jonah Hill as a… well, whatever he's playing. Tilda Swinton. Josh Brolin. Ralph Fiennes. Frances McDormand. It's a delightful cast, and they all look like they're tuned into that insane frequency that the Coens have always bee tuned into, and there are few things I anticipate more than a new Coen Bros. comedy.
Normally, I'd be skeptical about a February release date, but since the studios rarely know exactly what to do with a film from the Coens, I figure February's just fine because that means I get this as soon as possible.
“Hail, Caesar!” is in theaters February 5, 2016.