While the team that makes up The Lonely Island has made some of the most memorable moments in Saturday Night Live history in recent years, they’ve always been reined in by those pesky censors. One of the benefits of the big screen, however, is that you don’t have that problem. The Red-Band trailer for their new music mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping has now hit, and it shows that they’re going to take full advantage of everything the movies let them do. Check it out. Needless to say, not safe for work.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping tells the story of Conner4Real, the titular popstar who is played by Andy Samberg. To call the movie star-studded would be an understatement. Popstar looks to have everybody in the music industry in it, as part of fake interview footage, or with a role in the story. The first time you see Sarah Silverman, you assume she’s just playing herself, until the trailer tags her as "Conner’s Publicist," who wants to put Conner everywhere, "like oxygen." As an example.
In Popstar, Conner4Real is the biggest star in the world. Everybody loves him. Except Martin Sheen, for some reason. He’s got legions of fans, called "Connfidants," and a massive entourage of people who tell him what he wants to hear. So, it’s a lot like celebrity in general. Everybody in Hollywood has their own bagpiper, right? Our other favorite jobs that Conner4Real has apparently hired out for include Umbrella Wrangler, Turtle Sitter, and Trailer Editor. Because somebody made the trailer for him.
While the trailer makes Conner4Real look like the biggest star in the world, the film will actually follow him as his new album flops, and everybody around him begins to wonder if he’s really that big a star after all. The film is written and produced by all three members of The Lonely Island team, Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone. Schaffer and Taccone will also be the ones directing Samberg from behind the camera.
Overall, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping looks like they’re trying to make This is Spinal Tap for a new generation. A musical mockumentary where nobody in front of the camera realizes how big a moron the celebrity actually is. As celebrity culture has evolved in recent years, now may be a good time to take another look at it with a modern perspective.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (which we can’t believe isn’t actually the name of somebody’s actual album) will be in theaters on June 3. What do you think? Will this be part of your summer movie season?
