On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles narrated an adaptation of H. G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds over the radio, a broadcast that famously caused mass panic as listeners believed that aliens had, in fact, invaded Earth. The first official trailer for Brave New Jersey, a new comedy starring Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Tony Hale (Veep), and Raymond J. Barry (Born on the Fourth of July), introduces the small, fictional town of Lullaby, New Jersey, that hilariously fell for the hoax.
The official synopsis for the film is:
A small town on the night of Orson Welles’s legendary 1938 “War of the Worlds” radio hoax is fooled into believing aliens are invading America. As they face what they think is their last night alive, hilarious & life-changing events unfold.
Described as “an alien invasion movie where the aliens never show up,” the town dissolves into hysteria. People scream and run through the streets, dropping their inhibitions, and preparing to be invaded because they “have the fourth tallest water tower in three counties.”
As the town’s officials prove themselves useless, it seems the regular citizens eventually take up arms and prepare for the not-so-impending invasion.
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Brave New Jersey will be in theaters and on demand on August 4.
