The first trailer for Peacock's MacGruber series shows off action, stupidity, and Billy Zane's villain character. MacGruber is based on the SNL skit of the same name, created by comedian Will Forte, who also plays the character. Based on the MacGyver series starring Richard Dean Anderson that ran from 1985 - 1992, MacGruber is a parody that exaggerates the concept to the point of absurdity, but with hilarious results.
Forte starred as the character in a spinoff movie of the same name in 2010, which was a box-office dud, but gained significant cult status afterward. MacGruber was directed by The Lonely Island's Jorma Taccone and, along with Forte in the lead, co-starred Kristen Wiig as his life-long friend Vicki St. Elmo and Ryan Phillippe as his military liason, Lieutenant Dixon Piper. Together, they team up to take down Val Kilmer's Dieter Von Cunth, a villain who killed MacGruber's wife and comes into possession of a nuclear warhead. Given the box-office results, it looked like MacGruber's sequel future was dead, until Peacock announced they'd continue his exploits in a new series.
Today, Peacock has released the first trailer for the MacGruber series and it's got all the elements fans would likely expect from such a project. Forte returns as the titular character, with Wiig and Phillippe back as his comrades, along with some new faces to join the insanity (and stupidity). Billy Zane joins the franchise as Enos Queeth, a beret-wearing villain who apparently killed MacGruber's mom. Also joining the series are Laurence Fishburne, Sam Elliot, and Timothy V. Murphy, who returns as Constantine Bach. Check out the trailer below:
While MacGruber continuing past the failed 2010 film felt like a long shot, Forte was persistent in seeing it continue. Forte smartly kept up his profile, starring in the hit series The Last Man On Earth and lending his voice to multiple animated projects, from Bobs Burgers to Scoob! to The Great North and Housebroken. Forte also had a strong role in the Netflix hit Sweet Tooth, which will return with a second season in 2022.
MacGruber is the kind of comedy that some viewers will love, while others will loathe. Comedy is always subjective and hard to appeal to anyone and everyone, but MacGruber has found longevity with the SNL skits and the 2010 film that have made it a cultural benchmark for the comedy genre. Forte has a good grasp on what the appeal is and leans into it bravely, even if that involves using a celery stalk in a less-than-sanitary way to distract his opponents. For better or worse, the show looks to deliver on that same appeal.
Source: Peacock
