Universal Pictures has released the first trailer for the new comedy The Boss, which was previously titled Michelle Darnell. Written by Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone and directed by Falcone (Tammy), McCarthy stars as Darnell, the most powerful businesswoman in America,  who is unexpectedly sent to prison for insider trading and, upon release, attempts to rebrand herself as a brownies magnate. Her co-workers, however, aren't thrilled about her return and aren't ready to shell out forgiveness just yet.

As you can see in the trailer, which you can take a look at below, Falcone's latest film finds McCarthy, his partner and off-screen wife, in aggressive mode, not unlike the turn she took towards the end of this year's hilarious Spy, as well as in the aforementioned Tammy. The story has a great hook - McCarthy as a big-time female entrepreneur - and a clear message about the advancement of women in the workplace: learn from the male-dominated world of business but avoid, if at all possible, the more greed-based mistakes and personal faults of that culture.

There are plenty of big laughs to be found here, including that great Pinocchio reference at the end, but there's a worry that, like Tammy, the complexities of a character like Darnell will be smoothed out for a familiarly toothless and sentimental final act. If laughs are as consistent in the actual movie as they are in the trailer, however, that may prove less than a hindrance than in the case of Falcone's last film.

The film also stars Kristen Bell, Peter DinklageKathy Bates, Kristen SchaalTimothy SimonsMargo Martindale, and Cecily StrongThe Boss opens in theaters on April 8, 2016.


Here's the official synopsis for The Boss:

Academy Award®-nominated star Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Tammy) headlines The Boss as a titan of industry who is sent to prison after she’s caught for insider trading. When she emerges ready to rebrand herself as America’s latest sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget.

McCarthy is joined in The Boss by an all-star cast led by Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage and Kathy Bates. Directed by Ben Falcone (Tammy), the comedy is based on an original character created by McCarthy and written by McCarthy and Falcone alongside their Groundlings collaborator, Steve Mallory. The film is produced by McCarthy and Falcone through their On the Day productions and Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy through their Gary Sanchez Productions.

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Image via Universal Pictures

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Image via Universal Pictures
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Image via Universal Pictures
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Image via Universal Pictures

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