Two of life's greatest joys—extraterrestrial life and punk rock—come together in the new trailer for A24's How to Talk to Girls at Parties.
John Cameron Mitchell's '70s-set punk odyssey, which had its global premiere at last year's Cannes Film Festival, is based on Neil Gaiman's short story of the same name. Elle Fanning leads a cast that also includes Alex Sharp, Nicole Kidman, Rory Nolan, Ruth Wilson, and Matt Lucas. Previously, Mitchell directed Kidman in the Oscar-nominated 2010 drama Rabbit Hole.
Last year, Mitchell explained his adaptation process in a must-read interview with the Hollywood Reporter. For Mitchell, the key was linking the source material to Romeo and Juliet. As for the film's punk aesthetic, that comes straight from Gaiman's real life. "We brought in the punk element, because it wasn't really in the story," he said. "Then I kind of plumped up the Romeo and Juliet story. The punks and the aliens are fighting to keep the lovers apart. And in some ways we made the lead character into Neil. He was actually in a punk band and was offered a deal, but his dad refused to let him sign because it was a terrible contract."
In addition to punk rock and aliens, Parties—judging by this trailer—also boasts a fair amount of nods to latex fetishism.
Catch the full concoction May 18 in the States and/or May 11 in the U.K.
