"Mountainhead" Teaser: Four Billionaire CEOs Vacay While the World Burns in Jesse Armstrong's New Dark Satire Starring Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef
From the creator of HBO's Succession, Carell, Schwartzman, Michael Smith, and Youssef star in a sharp, biting satire on the disconnected elite.
With his Emmy-winning series Succession and his Oscar-nominated screenplay for In the Loop, Jesse Armstrong just might have the sharpest mind in Hollywood to dive into the very heart of what’s plaguing our world, both politically and culturally. But he never hits us over the head with overly preachy messages, instead using these issues as fodder for sharp, biting satire. Armstrong's dark humor often becomes a sharper tool for observation, as comedy tends to be a greater device in exposing the absurdity of our political and cultural landscapes.
Mountainhead, a new HBO original movie from Armstrong, isn’t a laugh riot but appears to be more of a sly mockery of how four of the world’s richest men can enjoy themselves over a weekend at a ski resort while the world literally descends into utter chaos. This time, the joke might be less about pointing fingers and more about how we, as a society, allow this to happen and have given so much power to the rich few who are far beyond affected by any type of consequences of their own making.
Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef make up this impressive ensemble. They each play tech moguls or tycoons of some sort—friends, billionaire CEOs, and all wielding too much power to tip the scales in their favor, never needing to face the fallout of their decisions.
When they come together for their annual getaway to enjoy the slopes and have a nice winter vacation for the weekend, they discover the world is facing a major crisis. A military coup has erupted in an Eastern European country, sparking outrage and discourse online. With social media riled with conspiracies and a 24-hour news cycle speculating on a possible World War III, these four billionaires watch from the sidelines.
And when the U.S. president requests to speak to them directly, they first wonder, “Why us?” Then it dawns on them—all this chaos and these conspiracies are erupting on their social media platforms, their news networks, and their technology that has made it easier than ever to spread lies and misinformation, ultimately leading to a tipping point of political and economic collapse. But don’t let a little thing like a global crisis get in the way of their poker night and morning snow skiing trips.
Jesse Armstrong writes, directs, and executive produces Mountainhead, which is slated to premiere on MAX on Saturday, May 31st.
Watch the newly released teaser, posted above.