In the upcoming film, the 48-year-old actor plays Jan Lewan, a real Pennsylvania Polka King and a Polish immigrant known for his Polka Ponzi scheme.
- Dec 16, 2017
AceShowbiz - Netflix has released the first trailer for its upcoming comedy "The Polka King" starring Jack Black. In the upcoming film, the "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" actor stars as Jan Lewan, a real Pennsylvania Polka King and a Polish immigrant who is famously known for his Polka Ponzi scheme.
The trailer shows how Jack's Jan, a dream seeker, becomes a sensation on the Pennsylvania polka band scene when he's caught scamming senior citizens. The over-two-minute video also sees his wife Marla, portrayed by comedienne Jenny Slate, yearning to become a local beauty queen again. She plays a role in her husband's Polka Ponzi scheme.
Elsewhere in the trailer, Jan's mother, played by Jacki Weaver, can be seen initially showing her support for her son's business, not knowing that he runs a fraudulent investing scam. But near the end of the funny trailer, she is seen yelling at her son, "If you do anything to hurt this family, I will destroy you."
The comedy flick is based on Joshua Brown and John Mikulak's documentary "The Man Who Would Be Polka King". The real Jan Lewan Orchestra recorded the film's music, and Jan himself coached Jack Black, who adopts a wacky Eastern European accent to play Jan. Jack also produces the film along with David Permut, Stuart Cornfeld, Monica Levinson, Priyanka Mattoo and Shivani Rawat.
Based on the remarkable true story of the world's only known Polka Ponzi scheme, this mix of comedy and tragedy is about Jan Lewan, a polish immigrant who believed in the American Dream. But with big dreams came big mistakes for the man who became the "King of Pennsylvania Polka."
Written and directed by Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarski, it will be available for streaming on January 12, 2018. Starring alongside Jack, Jenny and Jacki are Vanessa Bayer, Jason Schwartzman, J.B. Smoove, Willie Garson, Benjamin James Chaplin, Abigail Swanson and Robert Capron.
The comedy film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It received mixed reviews, with some critics calling it a "half-charming feature," an "ingratiating comedy" and simply "disposable."
