‘Long Shot’ Trailer: Charlize Theron Isn’t Out of Seth Rogen’s League in Summer Rom-Com
Zack Sharf
The 2019 summer movie season is going to once again be dominated by superheroes (“Avengers: Endgame”), family blockbusters (“Toy Story 4”), and studio tentpoles (“The Lion King”), but when it comes to counter-programming it’s probably a good idea to place your bets on Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron delivering a comedy hit. The two stars are teaming up for the romantic-comedy “Long Shot,” co-written and directed by Rogen’s “50/50” director Jonathan Levine.
“Long Shot” stars Theron as Charlotte Field, the U.S. Secretary of State who decides to run for president herself after getting a glowing recommendation from POTUS (Bob Odenkirk). Field seeks out speech writing help from Fred Flarsky (Rogen), who she used to babysit when the two were younger. As the two start spending more time together on the campaign trail, unexpected sparks begin to fly.
The question at the center of “Long Shot” is whether or not a woman like Theron would ever fall for a guy like Rogen. The history of romantic comedies has been full of these questions, as actors like Kevin James, Adam Sandler, and even Rogen himself have cast themselves opposite actresses who many believe are out of their league. “Long Shot” is taking this criticism to heart and flipping the script on the genre.
“Long Shot” co-stars O’Shea Jackson Jr., Andy Serkis, June Diane Raphael, Ravi Patel, and Randall Park. Writer-director Levine is also known for helming “Warm Bodies,” “The Night Of,” and “Snatched.” While Theron is playing a presidential candidate, Rogen recently told Entertainment Weekly the film is more focused on being a rom-com than a political statement.
“We wanted to make a movie that acknowledged the political realities we all live in without trying to make too heavy-handed directives,” Rogen said, “and at the same time make something that’s highly enjoyable and highly entertaining that appeals to as wide an audience as anything I’ve made.”
Lionsgate will open “Long Shot” in theaters nationwide May 3. The comedy is world premiering at the SXSW Film Festival next month. Watch the official trailer below.
