Albert Brooks attends the world premiere of 20th Century Studios' 'Ella McCay' at the El Capitan Theatre on Dec. 9 in Hollywood. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Ella McCay is not only James L. Brooks' return to the directing chair after a 15-year hiatus, it's also a rare comedy being given a theatrical release, as co-star Albert Brooks is quick to note. The film follows a young woman (played by Emma Mackey) who becomes governor of her home state while navigating complicated relationships with her husband, father and brother, alongside a star-studded cast of Jamie Lee Curtis, Ayo Edebiri, Woody Harrelson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Hall and Julie Kavner. At the Los Angeles premiere on Tuesday, Albert Brooks pointed out to The Hollywood Reporter that it's rare for a comedy film like Ella McCay to actually land in theaters, as "comedy, of all the kinds of movies, has been relegated to streaming." Related Stories Movies 'Ella McCay' Review: Emma Mackey Battles to Breathe Authenticity Into James L. Brooks' Antiquated Sentimental Comedy Movies Spike Lee Praises Ryan Coogler, Delroy Lindo as He Receives Career Achievement Award at Critics Choice Celebration of Black Cinema and Television "It's always been a second-class art form. You can look at the Academy Awards; I don't really understand it. It's the hardest because you need a reaction from the audience," he continued. "You can go see Death of a Salesman and if nobody makes a peep, it could be a hit. But if nobody laughs at this, you're not going to be happy. It's always been treated second class." The star - who has been involved in hit comedies including Broadcast News, Defending Your Life and Lost in America - explained he's also being more selective about his roles these days, since "as you get older, sometimes what they offer you you don't really want to do." When it comes to James L. Brooks though, he added, "I don't say no when he asks me to act in something. I've said yes for decades," most notably with Broadcast News. Woody Harrelson, Rebecca Hall, Julie Kavner, Joey Brooks, Emma Mackey, Julie Ansell, James L. Brooks, Jennifer Simchowitz, Jamie Lee Curtis, Spike Fearn, Albert Brooks and Ayo Edebiri Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios And though his last directorial effort was 2010's How Do You Know, James L. Brooks doesn't see this as his big comeback, saying, "I had a day job with The Simpsons, I was producing movies, and it didn't feel like that to me. Now that people say it to me I say, 'Oh yeah.' And then at a certain point I was going nuts not writing, and so I wrote the script for this." Mackey called working on the project "one of the great privileges of my life" in having a role "where I get to play different ages and get to play someone who is very forthright and inspired and motivated to keep going and to do a job that she deeply cares about, for the right reasons." Curtis noted that in getting the director's call, "I've been waiting a long time for a filmmaker like James L. Brooks to ask me to work with him," and celebrated the project as "it's funny, it's very smart it's about something. It's about this beautiful young woman and the possibility that you are not your family, that you don't have to carry your family legacy with you everywhere you go; you can break free from those patterns, and I think we're all influenced by that." Ella McCay hits theaters on Friday. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up The Hunger Games Josh Hutcherson Recalls Feeling "Failure" and "Rejection" in Post-'Hunger Games' Career The Alabama Solution 'The Alabama Solution' Documentarians on Collaborating With Incarcerees to Expose the Horrors of Alabama's Prison System Sissy Spacek Hollywood Flashback: Sissy Spacek Struck Oscar Gold With 'Coal Miner's Daughter' Suzannah Herbert 'Natchez' Documentarian on the Ghosts of the Civil War That Continue to Haunt the American South rose byrne Rose Byrne to Receive Breakthrough Performance Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival (Exclusive) F1 How 'F1: The Movie' Was Filmed at Real Grand Prixs, With Brad Pitt and Damson Idris Driving 180 MPH The Hunger Games Josh Hutcherson Recalls Feeling "Failure" and "Rejection" in Post-'Hunger Games' Career The Alabama Solution 'The Alabama Solution' Documentarians on Collaborating With Incarcerees to Expose the Horrors of Alabama's Prison System Sissy Spacek Hollywood Flashback: Sissy Spacek Struck Oscar Gold With 'Coal Miner's Daughter' Suzannah Herbert 'Natchez' Documentarian on the Ghosts of the Civil War That Continue to Haunt the American South rose byrne Rose Byrne to Receive Breakthrough Performance Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival (Exclusiv