Best Sellers - What We Know So Far
Road trip movies have been a movie staple for decades, from Bob Hope and Bing Crosby's "Road To..." travel comedies of the 1940s to '80s classics like "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and "National Lampoon's Vacation," to modern comedies like "Guilt Trip," "Due Date," or "Get Him to the Greek." But here's an upcoming road trip comedy with a "literary twist," as described by Variety.
First announced by Deadline in May 2019, "Best Sellers" is a new comedy-drama that's aiming to be the next road trip film to join the classics. Like many great road movies, it stars a pair of actors who are about as different as the characters they play: one is a comedy star, while the other is a multiple-time Academy Award winner.
The premiere for this intriguing film is just around the corner. Here's everything we know so far about "Best Sellers."
What is the release date for Best Sellers?
According to the film's distributor, "Best Sellers" will premiere on Friday, September 17, 2021, in both theaters and on-demand (via Screen Media Films on YouTube).
As reported by Deadline, "Best Sellers" is based on the screenplay of the same name by Anthony Grieco, which won the 2015 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting award. The film entered production in November 2019, and was a selection for the Berlinale Special Gala at the 2021 Berlin Film Festival in March, although it didn't screen due to the COVID-19 pandemic (via Variety). Screen Media acquired the rights to U.S. distribution later that month.
Screen Media Films is an independent production company that was acquired in 2017 by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. Along with "Best Sellers," Screen Media has a busy upcoming release schedule that includes "Eat Wheaties," "Naked Singularity," "Till Death," and "The Birthday Cake."
Who is in the cast of Best Sellers?
The two leads are Aubrey Plaza ("Parks & Recreation," "Black Bear") and British acting legend Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules," "The Man Who Would Be King"), who play Lucy Stanbridge and Harris Shaw, respectively. It's the first time the 37-year-old Plaza and the 88-year-old Caine have been co-stars in the same film.
As reported by Deadline, Caine and Plaza will star alongside "The Princess Bride" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" alum Cary Elwes, who plays Halpern Nolan, a book critic for "The New York Times." Ellen Wong ("GLOW," "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World") will be playing Rachel Spence, Lucy's personal assistant at the publishing house. The rest of the cast includes Scott Speedman ("Felicity," "Underworld"), and German actress Veronica Ferres ("Crisis").
"Best Sellers" is directed by Canadian Lina Roessler. It's the first feature-length directing credit for the actress-director, who's previously directed short films.
What is the plot of Best Sellers?
According to the official synopsis of "Best Sellers" (via Collider), Aubrey Plaza plays Lucy Stanbridge, an ambitious editor who inherited her father's publishing company, but since then has nearly driven it into bankruptcy after several of her books flopped. Lucy then discovers that the retired bestselling author Harris Shaw is contracted to write them a book. There's just one problem — he's a reclusive, cantankerous drunk who prefers to spend time with his tabby cat.
After Harris reluctantly delivers the novel, Lucy then forces him to join her on a desperate cross-country book tour to promote it. Sure enough, the two develop an unlikely friendship and help each other grow along the way, and the book turns out to be the hit they need.
Based on the trailer, it looks like "Best Sellers" will have lots of laughs and also some genuine heart. You can check out the trailer here.