Sony Pictures has announced that Robert De Niro's upcoming film, "The Comedian," will release nationwide on Feb. 3, 2017, just two days prior to the Super Bowl. The film premiered during the AFI Fest this past November and will close the Palm Springs Film Festival on Jan. 15, 2017.
According to Deadline, the film will also star Danny DeVito, Leslie Mann, Edie Falco, Harvey Keitel, Patti LuPone and Veronica Ferres. The film is directed by Taylor Hackford, who is known for helming "The Devil's Advocate," "Teenage Father" and the biopic film "Ray."
"The Comedian" tells the tale of an aging comic icon, played by De Niro, who struggles to reinvent himself while facing audiences who only associate him with a famous television character he played in the past. His struggles have also affected his relationship with his brother and wife, played by DeVito and LuPone respectively.
According to the synopsis obtained by Variety, De Niro's character is forced to conduct community service but it is during this period he finds inspiration. While working he meets a young woman, played by Mann, who is the daughter of a sleazy Florida real estate mogul (Keitel). It is their unlikely friendship that helps mold them into better people.
The official trailer gives a few further details regarding the film. A clip in the teaser reveals that De Niro's character punched an audience member during one of his shows and another sequence shows he has to work for 100 hours in community service. There is also a lengthy sequence where he brings Mann's character with him to an event where he gets into a feud with DeVito and LuPone's characters.
This is the second film De Niro has done about stand-up comedy. Previously in his career he starred as a deranged comedian in Martin Scorsese's 1982 movie, "The King of Comedy." The film starred Tony Randall, Sandra Bernhard and Jerry Lewis.
The official trailer for "The Comedian" can be watched below: