First Trailer for Chris Rock's TOP FIVE

The biggest acquisition out of the Toronto International Film Festival this year was Chris Rock's Top Five which ended up going to Paramount for $12.5 million, so they're really hoping this pays off. From its premiere at TIFF came nothing but glowing reviews. I saw only a few stills released before the festival, but other than that knew little about the film. It is the buzz from its premiere that will carry this through the holiday season and possibly turn it into a surprise/sleeper hit because opening weekend won't count for as much when the quality is clearly there. Paramount has turned this thing around quickly though, acquiring it at the end of September and already setting up a promotional campaign and an early December release date though I suspect it will be a staged release and that I, personally, won't have the opportunity to see it until early January. Regardless, I am really looking forward to it as this first trailer gives us a great look at what the film has going for it and why it seemed to make such a splash at a festival full of industry people. It is a movie about showbiz, it is Chris Rock's Bowfinger, his Tropic Thunder, his Funny People and while this comes off as largely autobiographical that can only mean the overall piece is extremely insightful. I enjoy all of the aforementioned films as I've always had an interest in the psyche of a comic, a person always expected to be funny and how that role parlays into the pressure of everyday life; that self-imposed pressure, for the most part. Needless to say, this will, at the very least, be an interesting inside look. Top Five was written, directed by and stars Rock as well as Rosario Dawson, J.B. Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, Jay Pharoah, Anders Holm, and Michael Che.



Synopsis: Written, directed by, and starring Chris Rock, Top Five tells the story of New York City comedian-turned-film star Andre Allen, whose unexpected encounter with a journalist forces him to confront both the career that made him famous and the life he left behind. Starring Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, Jay Pharoah, Anders Holm and Michael Che. And featuring music by Questlove.