National Lampoon is returning to feature films with ‘National Lampoon’s Hollywood Hustle’, a self aware comedy that leans directly into Hollywood’s long history of excess, instability, and public collapse.
The film brings together a deliberately out there cast (many of whom play heightened versions of themselves), including Nick Cannon, Alec Baldwin, and Mickey Rourke with supporting appearances from Tara Reid, Danny Trejo, Til Schweiger, Carrot Top, and Patrick Warburton.
Set in a meta version of Los Angeles, the film blurs satire and reality, particularly through performances shaped by the cast’s real life controversies.
That overlap is most pronounced in Rourke’s role, the 73 year old actor’s recent eviction saga feeds directly into the film’s themes of disappearing bank accounts and careers on the brink, in a story about artists scrambling to stay afloat, the timing adds a layer the filmmakers could not have manufactured.
The film marks the feature directorial debut of Mike Hatton, who also co-wrote the script with Paul Sloan, Hatton stars as an independent producer trying to keep a collapsing project alive, while Cannon plays a high powered agent attempting to secure Baldwin as the film’s saving grace.
When the production’s funds are mysteriously drained, the characters are forced into a frantic race across Los Angeles to salvage what’s left, watch the trailer here.
Production and score
Production leaned heavily into real locations across L.A., with additional filming in Las Vegas and Majorca, Spain. The score comes from System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, adding a darker edge to the comedy and has us very excited to hear what he will do with it.
Rourke’s real world struggles loom large over the release, after his manager launched a GoFundMe without his consent, the actor publicly rejected the fundraiser, calling it “humiliating” and pledging to return the money.
The film’s uncomfortable intersections with reality extend to Baldwin, whose past legal battles remain part of the broader cultural context, criminal charges connected to the 2021 Rust shooting were dismissed with prejudice in 2024.
That tension appears intentional: “National Lampoon is responsible for molding an entire generation of comedic filmmakers,” Hatton said. “I’m honored to be part of that legacy, and working with its amazing team has been a dream come true.”
Whether audiences read Hollywood Hustle as satire or something closer to commentary may depend on how closely they’re willing to look.
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