Much has been made of the romantic comedy’s near-disappearance in theaters, and although Netflix is seeking to fill that void in a streaming capacity, there’s still a question of whether the genre can be saved from the fate of the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom hybrids. Well, Ethan Hawke — who has starred over the decades in several romcoms, including the beloved Before Trilogy — is back to breathe fresh life into the genre. Hawke, alongside the charismatic Rose Byrne (as Annie), stars in the Juliet, Naked trailer as a borderline-washed-up rock star looking for a second chance to live life to the fullest.
That isn’t to say that Hawke’s character, Tucker Crowe, has been living the classically depraved life of a typical rock star. Nope, he’s actually been off the scene for awhile and living a life of obscurity. Unfortunately for Annie, she’s “stuck” (mild eye roll) with her long-term boyfriend, Duncan (Chris O’Dowd), who is the ultimate Tucker Crowe fanboy. In a scathing review, Annie ends up trashing Crowe’s fabled, 25-year-old acoustic demo when it finally surfaces, and lo and behold, Crowe contacts Annie to admit that her take was entirely correct.
Before long, the Annie and Tucker begin connecting as pen pals who end up meeting up for drinks in London, and watch out, Duncan. In the below poster, New York magazine declares that this film (which is based upon a Nick Hornby novel) “revitalizes the romantic comedy.” Whether or not this is true, audiences will find out on August 17.
