‘The Interview’ Trailer: Seth Rogen and James Franco Tempt the End of the World Again

By  · Published on June 13th, 2014

Columbia Pictures

What better way is there to usher in a nuclear holocaust than with Seth Rogen talking about poop?

Because Rogen and James Franco have apparently decided that making a movie about a fictional apocalypse was kid stuff. With their newest film, The Interview, they’re basically goading America’s enemies into starting World War Three.

A bad idea? Yeah, probably. Will it be funny? Yeah, probably. So hold your loved ones close and prepare for a fart, a chuckle and then the abrupt fiery destruction of all mankind.

Franco plays Dave Skylark, an extremely popular and extremely shallow talk show host, with Rogen as his steadfast producer. They discover that Kim Jong-un is, for whatever reason, a fan of their show, and manage to secure an interview with the big man around Pyongyang. But right before they can head out for a little Dennis Rodman-style diplomacy, they get a few visitors from the CIA. Who say, in so many words, “Hey dudes, love the interview idea. Oh, while you’re there, could you be a sport and murder Kim for us? Thanks!”

Take a look at the fallout with the first trailer of The Interview below.

So The Interview is a big-budget, wide release comedy about straight-up murdering a guy who might not be all there, and also might be pointing nuclear warheads at people he dislikes (say, the weather man, or those who don’t enjoy his mushroom-based sports drinks). But consider this- given the stranglehold Kim has on North Korea’s media, the only people who’ll probably see The Interview are Kim himself, along with a few of his top aides. And I have no idea if that’s actually a good or a bad thing.

This first trailer might not be jam packed with jokes, and what jokes it has are basically Rogen/Franco saying something people do in the bathroom, and then giggling. But it’s got all the same pieces This is the End had- high-concept premise, life-or-death drama (murder, tank battles, the launching of an actual ICBM), and toilet giggles. So if I had to guess, I’d say trailer number one is more about getting the premise across than trying to put strain on anyone’s laughing muscles.

And as far as the wrath of Kim goes, it might not even be that much to worry about. We made fun of Saddam Hussein for years, and he never seemed that mad at us. At least, no more than any other ruthless anti-American despot. If Saddam handing out bowling shoes in The Big Lebowski didn’t trigger a nuclear holocaust, than two hours of Rogen and Franco pointing at North Koreans and snickering “weiner” will probably be ok.

The Interview hits theaters October 10, 2014.

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