There’s a trace of comedy running through much of Danny Boyle’s work and for his next film, it looks to be a bit more full-blown. He’s teamed with Richard Curtis for the new musical comedy Yesterday starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, Ed Sheeran, and Ana de Armas. The high-concept story follows an upcoming artist who is the only person to remember The Beatles.
The first trailer has now arrived ahead of a summer release and it looks to be Boyle’s return to a full-blown crowd-pleaser, with Curtis’ influence felt throughout. Interestingly enough, it won’t be the only rock ‘n’ roll-inspired film of the year as the Bruce Springsteen-infused Blinded by the Light just premiered at Sundance (our review) and will arrive sometime this year.
Check out the trailer and poster below.
Jack Malik (Himesh Patel, BBC’s Eastenders) is a struggling singer-songwriter in a tiny English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie (Lily James, Mama Mia! Here We Go Again). Then, after a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed … and he finds himself with a very complicated problem, indeed.
Performing songs by the greatest band in history to a world that has never heard them, and with a little help from his steel-hearted American agent, Debra (Emmy winner Kate McKinnon), Jack’s fame explodes. But as his star rises, he risks losing Ellie — the one person who always believed in him. With the door between his old life and his new closing, Jack will need to get back to where he once belonged and prove that all you need is love.
Yesterday opens on June 28.