Chris Rock Navigates Life Crisis in ‘Top Five’ Trailer
Chris Rock‘s upcoming film comedy, Top Five, finally has an official trailer – and it crams enough belly laughs and high-profile celebrity cameos to satisfy fans until December 12th, when the movie hits theaters. Rock – who wrote and directed Top Five – stars as Andre Allen, an acclaimed stand-up comedian who makes it big as a Hollywood actor and gets engaged to a reality TV star (Gabrielle Union). After being hounded by a New York Times reporter (Rosario Dawson) for a profile story, Allen finds himself in a romantic and career crisis.
In the trailer, Dawson’s character forces Allen to take a hard look at his life – including his transition from stand-up glory (being named Time Magazine‘s “Funniest Man in America”) to starring in cinematic fluff like the Hammy Bear trilogy. “How come you’re not funny anymore?” Dawson asks.
Meanwhile, Allen’s fiancée wants to broadcast their wedding on her reality show – a move that could tarnish his reputation even further and lead to a B-list future on Dancing With the Stars. As Allen becomes more intimate with Dawson’s character, things get even more complicated. “I got married a lot of times,” says Whoopi Goldberg in a word of advice. “I wasn’t into the wedding. I should have been into the guy, as you should be into the girl.”
The trailer also features appearances from Tracy Morgan, J.B. Smoove, Cedric the Entertainer (as a sizzurp-sipping oddball) and Kevin Hart. Sherri Shepherd and Jay Pharoah are also confirmed to appear in the film, which unfolds over the course of one day.
Top Five created a studio bidding war after being screened at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and landed a reported $12.5 million distribution deal, according to Deadline. Rap icons Kanye West and Jay Z are credited as co-producers on the film, and the trailer features a snippet from their collaborative Watch the Throne banger “N-ggas in Paris.” Roots drummer Questlove served as the movie’s executive music producer.