A Futile and Stupid Gesture trailer looks back at the creation of National Lampoon and the films they made

A Futile and Stupid Gesture is the story of comedy wunderkind Doug Kenney, who co-created the National Lampoon, Caddyshack, and Animal House. Kenney was at the center of the 70’s comedy counter-culture which gave birth to Saturday Night Live and a whole generation’s way of looking at the world.

Doug Kenney and Henry Beard are played by Will Forte and Domhnall Gleeson.

Based on Josh Karp’s non-fiction book of the same name, the new Netflix movie looks at the history of National Lampoon but also dramatizes the making of Animal House and Caddyshack with Community’s Joel McHale as Chevy Chase; Broad City’s John Gemberling as John Belushi; Kroll Show’s Jon Daly as Bill Murray; 30 Rock’s Lonny Ross as Ivan Reitman; GLOW’s Jackie Tohn as Gilda Radner and Veep’s Brian Huskey as John Landis.

Martin Mull is the film’s narrator, and the film also stars Matt Lucas, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Lennon, Matt Walsh, Paul Scheer, Seth Green, Camille Guaty, Finn Wittrock, Neil Casey, Joe Lo Truglio, and Annette O’Toole.

David Wain directs the films, which hits Netflix on 26th January 2018.

Poster via EW