Kumail Nanjiani’s been slowly rising not only on the standup scene, but also as a reliably hilarious character actor in series like Silicon Valley, Adventure Time, and Burning Love. It seems, however, that he’s about to take center stage after the breakthrough Sundance success of The Big Sick, which he stars in and also co-wrote with his wife, Emily V. Gordon. Now, after landing a $12 million deal with Amazon, the movie just dropped its first trailer. Watch it above.
We caught it (and loved it) at Sundance, and our review lauds it as having “a perfect marriage of direction, performances, and writing.” In it, Kumail plays a version of himself in the story, which chronicles the real-life origins of his relationship with Gordon. After the demands of his Pakistani parents work to sabotage his burgeoning relationship with Emily (Zoe Kazan), he finds himself drawn back into her life after she falls into a coma. As her life hangs in balance, Kumail is forced into acquaintance with Emily’s parents (Ray Romano and Holly Hunter), who have no idea what to make her sorta-beau.
The Big Sick was directed by Michael Showalter, produced by Judd Apatow, and co-stars comedians like Kurt Braunohler, Aidy Bryant, and Bo Burham and is due for limited release on June 23rd, with a wide release on July 14th.
