Judging by the first posters for Nima Nourizadeh’s genre mash-up American Ultra, Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart are a long way from the idyllic, low-key setting of Adventureland. For the atypical comedy, the stars will play Mike and Phoebe, respectively, two laid-back stoners who will act as the crux of Ultra‘s tale of love, lust and eccentric hair.
MTV debuted our first look at the dramedy, and the outlet also sat down to talk with Nourizadeh about the creative process behind the film and how it’s proven to be a difficult butterfly to pin when it comes to actually pitching the concept during marketing.
“You start with this kind of like sweet love story. I don’t want to turn people off with that, but what’s really unique about this movie is the fact that it’s like this kind of crazy action-comedy, but really at the core there is this like romance and there’s this love story where all he wants to do is to propose to her. Really if you look at it, the action that comes into play is basically the stuff that’s softening it. It’s like the hurdles that you have to like overcome.”
Let’s just put it down as a genre crossover of-sorts. One thing is for sure, though, American Ultra has secured two of the most promising stars in the industry today, and we’re hoping the pair can tap their infectious chemistry found in Adventureland for Nourizadeh’s new project. It’s an interesting concept, too, even if it is a little crazy. Enjoying his small-town life with girlfriend Phoebe (Stewart), Eisenberg’s protagonist finds himself caught amidst a covert operation when he discovers that he is in fact a sleeper agent working for the government.
Topher Grace, Bill Pullman, John Leguizamo, Connie Britton, Walton Goggins and Tony Hale round out the cast. Nima Nourizadeh’s
American Ultra is expected to hit theaters on August 21. In the meantime, check out the first look at Eisenberg and Stewart’s characters down below.
