Open Road Films has released the first trailer for director Barry Levinson’s (Wag the Dog) upcoming comedy Rock the Kasbah. Written by Mitch Glazer (Magic City), the film stars Bill Murray as a rock manager who, after being jilted by his last remaining client while on a USO tour in Afghanistan, befriends a band of misfits and stumbles upon a young woman with an extraordinary voice.
Watching this trailer, I’m still not sure what kind of movie this is. At some points, it feels like the trailer is trying to cover up a weird film by making it look like a fish-out-of-water comedy. And at other points, it looks like it’s genuinely in that genre. I’m hoping it’s the former, because if it’s at least a weird movie, that might make it interesting. It could even be a misunderstood gem like Ishtar (although I’ll admit the music-business comedy in the desert is a superficial comparison), so I’ll hope that this movie is more than just coasting off Murray’s charisma and setting the film in Afghanistan.
Check out the Rock the Kasbah trailer and poster below. The film opens in theaters on October 23rd and also stars Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride, Scott Caan, and Bruce Willis.
Trailer via Apple.
Here’s the official synopsis for Rock the Kasbah:
“Rock The Kasbah” is the story of Richie Lanz, a rock manager with a golden ear and a taste for talent, who has seen better times. When he takes his last remaining client on a USO tour of Afghanistan, she gets cold feet and leaves him penniless and without his passport in Kabul. While trying to find his way home, Richie befriends a band of misfits and discovers a young girl with an extraordinary voice.
Against all odds, Richie will take his last shot at creating an unlikely superstar.
