COMING ATTRACTIONS

Late Night Trailer: Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling Team Up to Shake Up the Landscape of Late-Night TV

This devil doesn’t wear Prada, but she does host a comedy show.


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Late Night/YouTube

If you ever wondered what The Devil Wears Prada might look like set in the world of comedy, well, Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling are here to answer that, with the trailer for Late Night. It’s the Sundance hit from the mind of Kaling, starring the producer-actress-writer as a newly staffed writer on a late-night chat show run by a tyrannical Englishwoman.

Thompson plays Katherine Newbury, a legendary but dictator-like talk show host who is going to lose her late-night spot if she doesn’t shake up her stale writers’ room filled with white comedians and make her show more appealing to an increasingly diverse audience. Kaling enters the room as Molly Patel, a newbie who is not necessarily initially welcomed or appreciated by her fellow staff members but eventually wins over her boss once she submits a few new jokes for the opening monologue of the show. She also just happens to be the only female writer in a room full of men who, according to the trailer, say things like, “I wish I were a woman of color so I could just get any job I want.” It’s not too farfetched of a scenario, considering the landscape of American late-night talk shows across networks—The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Late Late Show With James Corden, to name a few examples—is overwhelmingly white and male (and named “Jimmy”), as are the writers’ rooms for many of these shows.

The comedians John Early, Ike Barinholtz, and Paul Walter Hauser costar, along with John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy, and Veep’s Reid Scott, to round out the cast.

Directed by Nisha Ganatra, Late Night had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival in January 2019, and though it was met with some mixed reviews, the film was quickly snatched up by Amazon Studios before the festival was over, and has been given a June 7 release date. There’s also some awards-season buzz for Thompson. It may be ridiculously early, but don’t be afraid to slot her in, at the very least as a possible nominee on the Golden Globes comedy and musical side of things.

Related: Mindy Kaling Opened Up About Being a Working Mom

Glenn Close, Akwafina, and All the Other Celebrities at Sundance Are Having More Fun Than You

Glenn Close cuddling up with Akwafina on January 24, 2019, at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @awkwafina.

Jada Pinkett Smith visited her old friend Jackie Chan on January 24 at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @jadapinkettsmith.

Abby Quinn braved the Utah cold while promoting her film After the Wedding at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @abbyquinnya.

David Oyelowo, Storm Reid, Ava Duvernay, Boots Riley, and Tessa Thompson all hung out together in what could only be described as the coolest group of festival-goers at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @davidoyelowo.

Jenna Dewan played in the snow in between film screenings at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @jennadewan.

Kiki Layne served up a cozy look at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival before the premiere of Native Son.

Photo by @kikilayne.

Riley Keough posed solo on the second day of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @rileykeough.

Mindy Kaling hit up a Park City Taco Bell while promoting her Emma Thompson-led movie Late Night at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @mindykaling.

Reggie Watts premiered a virtual reality interactive music video at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @reggiewatts.

Lena Waithe supported the cast of Native Son—including Nick Robinson, Ashton Sanders, and Kiki Layne—at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @lenawaithe.

Malin Akerman joined Jon Hamm for a screening of Julianne Moore’s film, After the Wedding, at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @malinakerman.

Mj Rodriguez and Crazy Rich Asians star Nico Santos announced the GLAAD Awards nominees at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on January 25.

Photo by @mjrodriguez7.

Milla Jovovich, Eiza Gonzalez, Emma Roberts, and Danielle Macdonald promoted their film Paradise Hills at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @emmaroberts.

A Sorry To Bother You reunion took place between Armie Hammer and Terry Crews at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Photo by @terrycrews.

Geraldine Viswanathan posed with pizza at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in between film promotions.

Photo by @yoyogeraldine.
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