Blumhouse has just released the first trailer for its coming-of-age drama, This is the Night. Written and directed by James DeMonaco, the film celebrates the power of movies to bring people together.

The film follows an Italian American family in 1982 as their Staten Island neighborhood clamors for the release of Rocky III. Starring Naomi Watts, Frank Grillo, Lucius Hoyos, Jonah Hauer-King, River Alexander, Chase Vacnin, and Bobby Cannavale, the trailer reveals an intimate portrait of its setting, promising to tug at our collective heartstrings, but it also doesn't shy away from some of the conflicts and prejudices that define its time and place. The result is not only a love letter to cinema, but to family, friends, and '80s New York.

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Image via Universal Pictures

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Best known for The Purge franchise, DeMonaco saw the film as a return to his roots of sorts. "This is the Night is a passion project I’ve been waiting to make," he explained. "A story based in my hometown of Staten Island, the film serves as a PSA: Movies bring us — people, families — together. There’s no time like the present to celebrate movies and how they inspire us."

"James has a real knack for prescient storytelling, and working with him on this picture — which is such a departure from our usual type of collaborations on The Purge franchise — has been a fun and fulfilling departure," said Blumhouse's Jason Blum, who is a producer on the film. "Especially now, it's a compelling time to look at the cultural significance of theatrical movie-going and remind ourselves why it's so critical to our society." Joining Blum as producer is longtime collaborator Sebastien K. Lemercier. Watts and Kate Driver are executive producers.

This is the Night will have a limited theatrical release at the Angelika Theater in New York on September 17, and will be available for rent or purchase on digital streaming platforms on September 21. Check out the trailer for This Is the Night below.

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