The first trailer for Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas’s Dublin-set comedy-drama Power Ballad has arrived. The new movie follows a past-it wedding singer called Rick as he crosses paths with a fading boy band star named Danny.
While they bond during a jam session, things take a turn when Danny takes one of Rick’s songs and turns it into a hit that helps to reignite his own career, and Rick “sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves – even if it means risking everything he cares about”.
The first trailer showcases the initial bond between the pair, though Rick gets a taste of what a phenomenon the song has become when Danny declares at a gig that the ballad “changed” his life.
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Rick’s frustration then leads to violent consequences, as Danny suggests that it isn’t “easy to turn a song into a hit”.
Power Ballad comes from director and co-writer John Carney (Once), and premiered last week at the Dublin International Film Festival.
One Letterboxd viewer who saw it wrote that they “absolutely devoured” the movie, praising the “fantastic duo” of Rudd and Jonas.
“I got to see this at its premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival and it was a good time,” another added. “It’s a very fun movie with the majority of jokes really landing.”
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A third called it a “fun, lighthearted and engaging” story that “sometimes takes itself a bit too seriously”, though is “well written and original”, adding: “Was nice to see Ireland portrayed in a normal way. A great evening all round.”
Speaking previously about the project, Carney said: “I’m delighted to be working with so many great people. I’ve been working on this script with my buddy Peter [McDonald] for years, and now Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas are in my kitchen.”
“John has a magic ability to weave great music into wonderfully engaging and universally relatable stories that make audience emotions run high,” added WME’s Alex Walton.
Power Ballad is due out in UK and Irish cinemas on 29 May.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.