Not all movies about journalists can depict the trade as a shining beacon of idealism and professional standards the way that the Academy Award-winning Spotlight did, although Spotlight wasn't a Ricky Gervais comedy so we're okay with that. Gervais' new movie, Special Correspondents, is not about ethical journalists, but about a radio reporter and his sound tech who hatch a scheme to fake their own kidnapping while reporting on location during a rebel uprising in South America, but all the while are actually hiding out in New York with delicious wine and snacks.
The first trailer for the Netflix original movie was released today, with Gervais and Eric Bana as the journalists, Vera Farmiga playing Gervais' wife and Benjamin Bratt as Gervais' character's nemesis, a journalist who actually seems to be dedicated and talented at his job. In the trailer, everything seems to be going according to the plan until the journalists realize they're about to be discovered as frauds and decide to head to Ecuador in an attempt to look like they'd been there all along.
That means it's time for Gervais' character to "grow a pair," although, in the best joke in the trailer, he isn't quite sure if that means balls or breasts. Gervais wrote and directed the movie, based off a French film by the same name. Don't expect some kind of wacky laugh riot. Gervais has previously told The Independent that "even though it would certainly be billed as a comedy, it's not a big broad loud obvious one ... It's a bit satirical. A bit dramatic. A bit romantic."
The film is set to begin streaming on Netflix on April 29.
