Bill Murray is a fish out of water, or so promises the new trailer for the Barry Levinson–directed Rock the Kasbah, which sees the actor playing down-on-his-luck tour manager Richie Lanz as he gets stranded in Afghanistan. After his only remaining client abandons him, Lanz agrees to help a young woman (Leem Lubany) get to Kabul to audition for Afghanistan’s version of American Idol.
For Murray, the comedy looks like pretty standard post-Rushmore fare—his character is old and washed up! He makes out with a much younger costar! That said, a lot of the Murray movies in that mold have been pretty good, and the strong supporting cast also includes Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Scott Caan, Danny McBride, and Bruce Willis. One obvious missed opportunity: not using The Clash’s “Rock the Casbah” in the trailer.
