Warren Beatty is finally returning to the director’s chair for the first time since 1998 with Rules Don’t Apply, a romantic period piece that the legendary talent also penned. He has assembled quite a cast, including Alden Ehrenreich, Lily Collins, Haley Bennett, Taissa Farmiga, Ed Harris, Alec Baldwin, Matthew Broderick, Martin Sheen, Annette Bening, Lousie Linton, and Oliver Platt, not to mention Beatty in his first acting gig since 2001.
The plot is described as an “unconventional love story” wherein an aspiring actress, her driver, and the eccentric billionaire they both work for are entangled. That eccentric billionaire is Howard Hughes (Beatty), a character the writer-director has been driving to put on the big screen himself since 1973. The first trailer has now landed ahead of a fall release and can be seen below.
An aspiring young actress (Lily Collins) and her ambitious young driver (Alden Ehrenreich) struggle hopefully with the absurd eccentricities of the wildly unpredictable billionaire (Warren Beatty), who they work for.
It’s Hollywood, 1958. Small town beauty queen and devout Baptist virgin Marla Mabrey (Collins), under contract to the infamous Howard Hughes (Beatty), arrives in Los Angeles. At the airport, she meets her driver Frank Forbes (Ehrenreich), who is engaged to be married to his 7th grade sweetheart and is a deeply religious Methodist. Their instant attraction not only puts their religious convictions to the test, but also defies Hughes’ #1 rule: no employee is allowed to have any relationship whatsoever with a contract actress. Hughes’ behavior intersects with Marla and Frank in very separate and unexpected ways, and as they are drawn deeper into his bizarre world, their values are challenged and their lives are changed.
Rules Don’t Apply hits theaters November 23rd.