When the first trailer for Joel and Ethan Coen’s upcoming period comedy Hail, Caesar! dropped in October, it promised a sprawling, zany extravaganza full of big-name stars (George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum) delivering scene-chewing performances. It also teased intrigue, innuendo, and slapstick, though that kind of broader comedy is probably the sibling filmmakers’ most hit-or-miss genre. But this new trailer—focusing almost exclusively on a small, very funny and somewhat infuriating interaction between a golden era Hollywood director (Fiennes) and the star of his film (Alden Ehrenreich)—suggests that the Coens have a firm grasp of tone in this film and that any concerns are probably unfounded.
Hail, Caesar! arrives in theaters February 5. Would that it ’twere a little sooner.