Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, Booksmart, premiered at SXSW last week and heads to theaters in May. Following the Kaitlyn Dever-starring film’s acclaimed debut, Annapurna Pictures released a red-band trailer for the raunchy coming-of-age comedy.
In Booksmart, Dever (Last Man Standing) and Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird) star as friends on the last day of high school before graduating. The two decide to finally start partying it up after focusing on studying for the past four years after they are horrified to learn that other students who partied hard got into good colleges.
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Other members of the star-studded cast include Noah Galvin, Billie Lourd, Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte, Mike O’Brien and Stephanie Styles. The film was written by Katie Silberman, Emily Halpernn, Sarah Haskins and Susanna Fogel.
Booksmart is the first feature directed by Wilde, who previously directed the short films Free Hugs (2011) and No Love Like Yours (2016). She also directed music videos for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
“I believe in it so much, but you never know [how people will react]. You are working on it in your own bubble,” Wilde told Entertainment Tonight before the film’s first screening. “It was incredible to let the egg hatch into the world and have someone say they also felt it resonated. I have been working really hard on it and I am excited. I’m excited for the world to see it.”
Directing the movie meant that Wilde got to join the Director’s Guild of America. She shared her membership card, which has the late Nora Ephron on it, in December.
“Only 15.6% of DGA director members are women. That’s gotta change,” Wilde wrote on Instagram. “But in the meantime I sure am proud to be one of them. My first card came today and Nora Ephron is on it and I can’t believe I finally have an excuse to carry a picture of her in my wallet at all times.”
Even though the film’s release is still a week away, Wilde is already set to accept a prize for it. In April, she will receive the CinemaCon breakthrough director award for the film at the Las Vegas convention, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
Booksmart is one of several projects Dever signed on to make after Last Man Standing was originally canceled back in May 2017. The actress, who plays Eve Baxter, has appeared in a handful of episodes in the show’s first FOX season.
Last Man Standing airs on FOX Fridays at 8 p.m. ET, and Booksmart opens on May 24.
Photo credit: Annapurna Pictures
