The film marks his first effort as a director since 2017’s “I Love You, Daddy,” which was scrapped after the comedian admitted to sexual misconduct.
In 2017, Louis C.K. was set to return to filmmaking in a major way with “I Love You, Daddy,” an art film he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. But in the months leading up to the controversial movie, multiple female comedians accused the comic of sexual misconduct. The charges, which he ultimately admitted to, caused the film’s release to be scrapped and the comedian’s career was temporarily derailed.
Now, five years later, Louis C.K. is gearing up to release another film. The comedian announced today that he has written, directed, and starred in a new feature titled “Fourth of July,” which is set to hit theaters this summer.
The film tells the story of a recovering alcoholic and jazz pianist in NYC who confronts his acerbic family during their annual Fourth of July vacation. In addition to C.K., the cast includes Sarah Tollemache, Paula Plum, Robert Walsh, Robert Kelly, and Joe List, who also serves as a co-writer.
C.K. also announced plans to roll the film out through a series of in-person events featuring the scandal-plagued comedian. He will screen the film for one night only engagements in New York City (Beacon Theater, June 30), Boston (Shubert Theater, July 1), and Chicago (The Vic, July 2), appearing for live Q&A sessions after each screening. That effort will be accompanied by a traditional theatrical release, though he has yet to announce the theaters that will be screening the film.
Louis C.K. has been largely absent from the film and television worlds since stories of his misconduct surfaced, although he has resumed his successful stand-up comedy career. Some of his first live performances were criticized for his refusal to address his sexual misconduct (which many found particularly unusual, considering C.K. was famous for his brutal honesty), but he soon rebounded. In the years since, the comic has regularly sold out theaters and released two stand-up specials, “Sorry” and “Sincerely Louis C.K.,” the latter of which won him a Grammy for Outstanding Comedy Album.
While limited details about the film’s release have been announced, “Fourth of July” is slated to hit theaters on July 1. Watch the trailer below:
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