Dave Franco Debuts Thriller Starring Wife Alison Brie at Drive-In Premiere — Watch the Trailer
How's that for date night?
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Dave Franco and Alison Brie attended the drive-in premiere of The Rental, which marks Franco's directorial debut, at the Vineland theater outside of Los Angeles on Thursday.
The thriller stars his wife Brie, Sheila Vand, Dan Stevens and Jeremy Allen White as a pair of couples whose weekend retreat at a gorgeous rental home on the Oregon coast takes a sinister turn when they realize their host may be spying on them, as seen in the trailer, above.
Per Variety, the event was attended by with 650 cars (containing an estimated 1,300 patrons) paying $55 per car.
After the premiere, a live Q&A was projected on the screen, with Franco and Brie Zoom-ing in from their car. Vand also Zoom-ed in from her own vehicle nearby, per the outlet, while Stevens and White participated more remotely.
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Franco, who directed and co-wrote the film with Joe Swanberg, told Variety the parking lot premiere was "definitely surreal."
"But in the end, it truly did feel unique and special," he said. "Where standard premieres are a bit more formal, with everyone dressed in suits and fancy dresses, I just don't think that would've been the right vibe for this film."
"I love how casual the night was, and it didn't feel like there was a spotlight on me or the cast," he added. "It felt more like a communal experience where everyone was just excited to get out of their homes and let loose with a group of fellow movie lovers. It was perfect."
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Franco, 35, and Brie, 37, last worked together in The Disaster Artist in 2017, which was also the first time Franco worked with brother James Franco, 42.
The Rental will be released on demand, in drive-in theaters and in select indoor theaters on July 24.
