‘Late Night’ First Trailer: Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson in Sundance Sensation

Whether you were at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival or not, chances are you heard a lot of buzz about “Late Night,” the Emma Thompson-starring comedy written by and co-starring Mindy Kaling. The film was an instant word-of-mouth hit in Park City, earning strong reviews and selling to Amazon Studios in a whopping $13 million deal. Now “Late Night” is heading to theaters this summer where it should have no problem becoming a breakout comedy hit.

“Late Night” stars Emma Thompson as a veteran late night host who decides to hire a female writer (Kaling) to help revitalize her aging talk show. For Kaling’s character, joining the world of late night television means being thrown into the deep end of the patriarchy. “Late Night’s” impressive ensemble cast includes John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy, Reid Scott, John Early, Amy Ryan, and Ike Barinholtz, among others.

Read More: ‘Late Night’ Review: Mindy Kaling’s Charming Comedy Offers Classic Laughs With a Modern Twist

While Kaling was a driving force behind the project as the film’s screenwriter, “Late Night” is actually directed by Nisha Ganatra in her feature directorial debut. Prior to “Late Night,” Ganatra made a name for herself in the world of television, directing episodes of high profile series such as “Shameless,” “Girls,” “Better Things,”  “Dear White People,” “The Mindy Project,” and “Mr. Robot.” Ganatra also holds co-executive producer credits on seasons of “Transparent” and “Better Things.”

In her B+ review out of the Sundance Film Festival, IndieWire’s Kate Erbland raved “Late Night” was a “charming comedy that puts a modern twist on classic laughs.” Erbland continued, “The film smartly sends up not just the cloistered world of late night television, but a current cultural climate struggling to evolve in a changing world…Stuffed with truisms and heart, ‘Late Night’ is also the one thing that any and every late night talk show has to strive for: funny as hell, and with something to say.”

Amazon Studios will open “Late Night” in theaters June 7. Watch the first official trailer.

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