"The Roses" Trailer: Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch Go to War in This Darkly Savage Divorce Comedy From Director Jay Roach and Writer Tony McNamara

In this sharp and witty breakup film, Colman and Cumberbatch battle it out in a bitter divorce, with Allison Janney adding even more chaos to their already messy split.

There are plenty of films about falling in love. Too many to count, really. But where are the movies that show couples falling out of love? The ones that tackle the messy process of breaking up, and all the ridiculously heartless and brutally awkward moments that come from a couple’s decision to end things.

Now, one might say, “Why would I want to watch two people bicker and fight for two hours? That sounds miserable.” Well, sure, if you put it that way, we don’t blame you for your hesitation. But what if the always delightful and enjoyable Olivia Colman and the wickedly sharp Benedict Cumberbatch are the ones at the center of this breakup? Now you might have something worth seeing. Now you just might have a movie worth your time. With Colman and Cumberbatch trading verbal jabs like seasoned roastmasters, this just might be the rare divorce comedy where moviegoers are the ones thirsting for even more squabbles and in-fighting.

Directed by Emmy-winning helmer Jay Roach (Austin Powers films, Meet the Fockers, Recount, Game Change) and written by two-time Oscar-nominee Tony McNamara (Poor Things, The Favourite), The Roses is a loose, updated version of 1989’s The War of the Roses, a classic black comedy that starred Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito. DeVito also directed the film from a screenplay by Michael J. Leeson, based on the novel by Warren Adler. That film is considered one of the best, and darkest, divorce comedies to date.

This new version, however, follows Theo and Ivy Rose, played by Colman and Cumberbatch, showing off a wicked chemistry balanced by sharp humor and verbal sparring. They’re a highly successful couple who discover that calling it quits comes with its fair share of added pressures and complicated issues, from navigating their personal lives to dealing with the fallout of the dissolution of their seemingly perfect marriage. It’s a bitter divorce battle that’s less about who gets to choose what gets divvied up, and more about who can leave with their face still attached.

Andy Samberg costars as Cumberbatch’s loyal friend and his new legal counsel, while Oscar-winner Allison Janney takes on the role of a savage divorce lawyer working for Colman’s character. She’s not only out for blood, but she’s determined to reach a deal where the couple’s dream home is non-negotiable. He gets nothing, and she’s making sure that every last thing falls in her client’s favor, no matter the cost.

Rounding out the cast are Ncuti Gatwa, Kate McKinnon, Sunita Mani, Belinda Bromilow, Jamie Demetriou, Zoe Chao, Hala Finley, and Akie Kotabe.

The Roses is being released in theaters on August 29th, via Searchlight Pictures, the same studio behind Poor Things, A Real Pain, and A Complete Unknown.

Watch the newly-released trailer, above.

Official Synopsis:

Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Ivy (Olivia Colman) and Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch): successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids. But beneath the facade of their supposed ideal life, a storm is brewing — as Theo’s career nosedives while Ivy’s own ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites. The Roses is a reimagining of the 1989 classic film The War of the Roses, based on the novel by Warren Adler.