While you can check out Jack Black on the big screen this winter in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, you can also watch the actor in a new movie at home. He stars in The Polka King, which will be up on Netflix next month.
In the movie, Black stars as Jan Lewan, who became a polka sensation in Pennsylvania during the Cold War. According to Deadline, Lewan was born in Poland and defected to Canada before he moved to the U.S. In the mid-1980s, he started playing Polish clubs and churches before he gained fame outside Pennsylvania.
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After becoming a star, he organized trips to Poland with his fans, bringing back Soviet products he would re-sell for a major profit at a store. He also offered promissory notes at 12 percent interest. When his wife tried to win Mres. Pennsylvania, his ponzi scheme was exposed and he spent time in jail.
The movie is based on Joshua Brown and John Mikulak’s The Man Who Would Be Polka King documentary. It was written and directed by Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky.
The cast also includes a roster of acclaimed comic actors, including Jenny Slate, Jason Schwartzman and Vanessa Bayer. Oscar-nominee Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook) stars as Jan’s mother-in-law.
The Polka King will be up on Netflix on Jan. 12. You can also see Black in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which opens on Wednesday.
Photo credit: Facebook/ Jack Black
