:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/will-harrison-lucy-taylor-punch-092925-1-e8ffe7f057b3481d998bb1329026d46b.jpg "Will Harrison stars in impactful Broadway play based on real-life tragedy")
George Clooney and Adam Sandler have teamed up for the enthralling Jay Kelly — a film that fans think could potentially earn Sandler his first-ever Oscar.
The trailer for the Noah Baumbach-directed comedy drama dropped on Monday, September 29, with many already predicting Sandler’s name to be thrown into the mix for an Academy Award nomination.
“Give this guy an Oscar already,” one person commented under the trailer on YouTube. “I’ve noticed for a long time that comedic actors do a great job with dramatic roles. I think he should have won an Oscar for Uncut Gems.”
Another said, “Sandman in serious rolls [sic] is so great to see ❤.”
A third person predicted that Jay Kelly will be “one of the frontrunners for BEST PICTURE at the Oscars 2026.”
The praise for Sandler’s performance continued on X, with one user writing, “How wild that this year is the one where Adam Sandler wins an Oscar.”
“I remember reading the initial press for this film and it’s very clear that Noah Baumbach wants part of his legacy to be the guy who got Adam Sandler an Oscar nomination, and George Clooney just kind of wanted to be part of it which I think is awesome 😅,” a second X user said.
Jay Kelly depicts a movie star of the same name (Clooney) traveling across Europe as he looks back at his life and legacy. Along the way, viewers are introduced to Jay’s team, including his manager, Ron (Sandler), and his publicist, Liz (Laura Dern), who have helped propel his career.
“Jay Kelly, so handsome. Look at you, you’re the American dream, the last of the old movie stars,” Sandler, 59, says in the teaser to Clooney, 64.
The trailer features a montage of events from Jay’s start as an actor, to becoming a father, walking red carpets and attending movie premieres.
“Lately I feel like my life doesn’t really feel real. I’m suddenly remembering things. … That’s like a movie where I’m playing myself,” the titular character says.
The star-studded cast also includes Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Wilson, Greta Gerwig, Isla Fisher, Louis Partridge and Tom Francis.
Sandler recently reflected on tackling the more serious role and how the character reminded him of people he’s met during his own acting career.
“I know many Rons,” he told Netflix this month. “I’ve met a lot of nice people along the way who have helped me, thought of me and put stuff aside in their lives to make sure that mine was going smoothly when I needed them.”
Sandler’s fans were previously stunned when the actor failed to nab an Oscar nomination for his remarkable performance in 2019’s Uncut Gems. In the crime thriller, which was directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, Sandler played Jewish jeweler Howard Ratner, who fell into debt on account of his gambling addiction.
The Happy Gilmore actor addressed the Uncut Gems Oscar snub in a post on X.
“Bad news: Sandman gets no love from the Academy,” he wrote on the platform in January 2020. “Good news: Sandman can stop wearing suits.”
Jay Kelly will be released in select theaters on November 14, followed by its streaming release on Netflix on December 5.
