For a while now, Channing Tatum has been popping up on the big screen multiple times a year in films of all genres, but so far in 2017, his only role has been of the vocal variety for The LEGO Batman Movie. Fans can get pumped now, though, as it's been announced the actor's long-gestating (and weird as shit) live-action TV action-comedy has been locked in for a late-summer release date at Amazon. He'll again be putting his vocal talents to work for the newly-titled Comrade Detective, this time alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a slew of other talented Hollywood familiars.
Here's the set-up: Titled Comrade Detective, this ridiculously unique cop comedy is being presented as a half-hour 1980s TV show from Romania. As such, Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt aren't actually going to be onscreen (at least in a starring capacity), as they'll be providing voiceover dubbing for the two Romanian actors, Florin Piersic Jr. and Corneliu Ulici, that are playing Detectives Gregor Anghel and Iosef Baciu. After all, Romania wasn't airing English-speaking U.S. TV shows back in the '80s, right?
Below, you can find a more detailed synopsis for what viewing audiences can expect to see from Comrade Detective.
In the thick of 1980's Cold War hysteria, the Romanian government created the country's most popular and longest-running series, Comrade Detective, a sleek and gritty police show that not only entertained its citizens but also promoted Communist ideals and inspired a deep nationalism. The action-packed and blood-soaked first season finds Detectives Gregor Anghel (played by Piersic) and Iosef Baciu (played by Ulici) investigating the murder of fellow officer Nikita Ionesco and, in the process, unraveling a subversive plot to destroy their country that is fueled by---what else---but the greatest enemy: Capitalism. Though the beloved show was sadly forgotten about after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it has been rediscovered and digitally remastered now with its main heroes voiced by Tatum and Gordon-Levitt. Comrade Detective is a true portal into a time and place and a powerful reminder of what art can be---and it is now ready to be seen by the modern world on a larger scale than ever before.
It all sounds so gloriously baffling, doesn't it? With Tatum and his production company behind things, Comrade Detective is the creation of Brian Gatewood and Alex Tanaka, who both wrote The Sitter and episodes of Showtime's Dice. We probably shouldn't look for the most nuanced humor here, but we can and should look out for the incredible supporting cast of voice-dubbers.
You want funny people? How about Nick Offerman, Jerrod Carmichael, Jake Johnson, Jenny Slate, Fred Armisen, Bo Burnham, John Early and the untouchable Jason Mantzoukas. You want dramatic people who can be funny? Comrade Detective also boasts Mahershala Ali, Kim Basinger, Bobby Cannavale, Richard Jenkins, Chloë Sevigny, Debra Winger, Katie Aselton Duplass, Mark Duplass and Tracey Letts. That's almost too many talented people for one show.
You can get a peek at the two lead characters below, though you'll have to provide your own voicework.
When he isn't rocking pointy ears and rocket boots for projects, Channing Tatum does like to keep things light, with the Jump Street movies and Hail Caesar! (not to mention the Magic Mike flicks) showing off his non-serious side. (Look out for the Splash remake, too.) Joseph Gordon-Levitt hasn't been quite as prolific in terms of total projects in recent years, as his production company hitRECord keeps him busy, but he's been good about flipping from comedy to drama and back again with each project, and he got audiences laughing a couple of years ago with The Night Before and a cameo on The Muppets' short-lived return to TV.
Comrade Detective is set to make its surreal debut exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, August 4. Mark your calendars, Romanian or otherwise, and then head to our summer premiere schedule to see what other TV shows are debuting and returning in the coming months.
