Joe Swanberg may have directed over a dozen films in the past eight years, but none of them have ever really gotten as much mainstream attention as his latest. “Drinking Buddies” premiered at SXSW this spring and it showcased Swanberg’s ability to make a more mainstream film with a starrier cast that recalls the most recent works of his mumblecore contemporaries, such as Lynn Shelton and the Duplass Brothers. Magnolia Pictures picked the film up for distribution shortly afterward and now we have a couple of new images as well as the first official poster for the film.
Entertainment Weekly was first to showcase the new poster, which proudly displays the film’s cast which includes Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, and Ron Livingston. Wilde and Johnson play Kate and Luke, two coworkers at a Chicago brewery who spend the majority of their days drinking and flirting. They have the perfect chemistry, but both are in separate relationships. Kate is with Chris (Livingston) and Luke is with Jill (Kendrick). Jill wants to know if Luke is ready to talk about marriage, but Luke isn’t ready to commit… especially when he and Kate wind up spending a weekend alone together.
The mostly improvised film was well received when it premiered at SXSW, with our review singling out Wilde and Johnson as having “crazy palpable chemistry together” and credited Swanberg for “making a film that feels loose without ever being ponderous or phony.” “Drinking Buddies” will have a VOD release on July 25th and will be in theaters on August 23rd. [EW/Up and Comers]
