George Clooney And Adam Sandler's Netflix Movie Looks Fantastic, But Another Actor Steals The First Look With Just 3 Words

Upon hearing that George Clooney and Adam Sandler were going to be in a dramedy together, my ears perked up. That anticipation has only grown after seeing the teaser for their 2025 movie Jay Kelly, which will be headed to theaters and Netflix this fall. However, after watching this footage, I have one more reason to be excited, as a venerated co-star of theirs stole the show.

All it took was three words, which provided the closing laugh line for this first look at director Noah Baumbach’s latest. Or rather, it only took 2020 Academy Award winner Laura Dern saying those words, in a perfectly deadpan manner, to send me out on a laugh that could carry me to November 14th. That simple grouping of words?

Trust me, in the context of the trailer above, it makes absolute sense. Though even out of context, simply knowing that Ms. Dern is saying this to George Clooney’s character could still make you laugh. Especially when Adam Sandler is standing over the other shoulder of Jay Kelly’s titular actor in crisis, playing the straight man like a champ.

While I’ve called this picture a dramedy, I feel like I’m doing it a disservice. After all, Netflix’s first Jay Kelly announcement labeled the movie as a “heartbreaking comedy,” and I take such a distinction seriously. The official synopsis for the picture even fleshes out some of the existential fun George Clooney and Adam Sandler will be having, as both men are looking over their lives and careers and wondering if they’re really where they want to be.

There’s clearly a very meta framework at work in Jay Kelly, right down to a scene that makes a recent interview in which George Clooney addressed “playing himself” all the more appropriate. Balancing all of this out are encounters with other members of this stacked ensemble, which also includes Billy Crudup, Jim Broadbent, Riley Keough, and Greta Gerwig.

While we may not totally know what to expect from any of those people in this world, this photo of Ms. Gerwig with Adam Sandler certainly looks charged with emotion.

Heartbreak certainly feels like it’s lingering around the corner in this world, even as our leading man drops an f-bomb when seeing a huge ad with his face on it. That leaves Laura Dern another opportunity to shine, as her dramatic chops could also be well served by Jay Kelly’s introspective story. It certainly wouldn’t be called a teaser if they gave you everything up front, would it?

Jay Kelly certainly has the potential to rival some of George Clooney’s best movies, as well as becoming a strong candidate to become yet another “surprisingly good” Adam Sandler film. However, I’ll be watching to see how Laura Dern fares, as she’s already got my vote for being a strong glue that bonds this picture together.

Should I be proven correct, I do hope that Mr. Clooney will consider finding a place in that Ocean’s 14 script where she can join the team. We’ll have to wait to see what happens, as Jay Kelly will debut in select theaters on November 14th, with its Netflix streaming debut set for December 5th.