Hollywood’s latest reunion story might just be its most deliciously absurd yet. Mad Men favorites Jon Hamm and John Slattery are trading their Madison Avenue suits for what’s shaping up to be 2025’s most audacious R-rated comedy romp.
The project — currently stuck with the hilariously bureaucratic working title “Untitled David Wain Celebrity Pass Movie” — sounds like something dreamed up during a particularly spirited 3 AM writers’ room session. Remember those late-night conversations about celebrity hall passes? Well, someone’s finally turned that wine-fueled hypothetical into a full-blown revenge comedy.
At its core lies a premise that could only work in our celebrity-obsessed era: a Midwestern bride-to-be discovers her fiancé actually managed to cash in on their celebrity hall pass agreement. Rather than sulk, she decides to even the score with a revenge tour through the star-studded streets of Los Angeles. Because nothing says “relationship goals” quite like mutual celebrity hookup vengeance, right?
Rising star Zoey Deutch takes the lead as our scorned bride-to-be, Gail Daughtry. She’s joined by an ensemble that reads like a “who’s who” of contemporary comedy, including The White Lotus scene-stealer Sabrina Impacciatore (fresh off her scene-stealing turn in Season 2), Ben Wang, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and the ever-reliable Ken Marino.
But let’s talk about that Mad Men reunion. Hamm and Slattery — who gave us seven seasons of perfectly-aged scotch and razor-sharp wit as Don Draper and Roger Sterling — are keeping their roles under wraps. Though given the premise, there’s a tantalizing possibility they might just be playing heightened versions of themselves. Wouldn’t that be something?
Behind the camera sits David Wain, the mad genius who blessed us with Wet Hot American Summer. Producer Anthony Bregman’s enthusiasm feels particularly telling — claiming this script tops even Wet Hot’s legendary laughs-per-page ratio. In an age where streaming algorithms seem determined to iron out every wrinkle of originality, that’s saying something.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect. As superhero fatigue sets in (sorry, Captain America reboot number whatever) and audiences increasingly crave something — anything — different, here comes a comedy that promises to be gloriously unhinged. Producer Crystine Zhang’s description of a “super wacky comedy with lots of heart” hits exactly the right note for 2025’s particularly strange cultural moment.
For Hamm and Slattery, this marks their second post-Mad Men collaboration, following last year’s Maggie Moore(s). But where that film played it relatively straight, this project seems determined to let both actors flex their considerable comedic muscles. Anyone who remembers Hamm’s brilliant 30 Rock guest spots knows that’s very good news indeed.
Currently filming in Los Angeles — because where else would you shoot a celebrity revenge quest? — the project joins an impressive slate for both actors. Hamm’s been particularly busy lately, riding high off Top Gun: Maverick’s success and leading Apple TV+’s buzzy Your Friends & Neighbors. Meanwhile, Slattery continues his streak of picking fascinating projects that somehow always manage to fly just under the radar until they’re collecting awards.
In an era where theatrical comedies have become increasingly rare birds, this feels like exactly the kind of swing-for-the-fences project that might remind audiences why they fell in love with the genre in the first place. And hey, if nothing else, we’ll get to see Don Draper and Roger Sterling trading barbs again — this time without all that pesky mid-century existential dread weighing them down.
Leave a Reply