George Clooney and Adam Sandler take an epic road trip through Europe in their upcoming movie, Jay Kelly.
Fresh off the huge success of his long-awaited sequel Happy Gilmore 2 in July 2025, Sandler’s next project is a complete change in pace. The bittersweet comedy-drama Jay Kelly, which comes from Netflix and acclaimed filmmaker Noah Baumbach, premieres in competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in August 2025, which means it could be a serious award season contender in 2026.
Clooney, a two-time Oscar winner, has spoken to Vanity Fair about how playing an aging movie star in Jay Kelly symbolized a shift in his own career.
“When you’re an actor in my position, at my age, finding roles like this aren’t all that common,” he acknowledges. “If you can’t make peace with aging, then you’ve got to get out of the business and just disappear. I’m now the guy that, when I go running after a bad guy, it’s funny — it’s not suspenseful. That’s okay. I embrace all of that.”
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Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about Jay Kelly.
What Is ‘Jay Kelly’ About?
Baumbach is keeping plot details about Jay Kelly largely secretive prior to its Venice debut, though the film definitely revolves around aging actor Jay taking a road trip through Europe with his manager (Sandler).
Netflix’s official synopsis reads, “The new film from Academy Award nominee Noah Baumbach follows famous movie actor Jay Kelly (George Clooney) and his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler) as they embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Along the way, both men are forced to confront the choices they’ve made, the relationships with their loved ones, and the legacies they’ll leave behind.”
Who Is in the Cast of ‘Jay Kelly’?
Clooney has the title role as a fading movie star, while Sandler plays Jay Kelly’s longtime manager, Ron. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Clooney revealed that he encouraged the Jay Kelly cast not to treat Sandler like the characters in his “goofy” movies.
“This film, more than any film Adam has done, shows what a beautiful, heartfelt, soulful actor he is — I kept telling the cast, ‘Don’t call him Sand Man. Don’t talk to him like he’s just some goofy comedian. He’s actually a really beautiful, wonderful actor,’” Clooney insists.
The Ocean’s Eleven actor goes on, “Because of what [Adam’s] paycheck is, which is doing big goofy comedies, when he does these other, beautiful, Uncut Gems kinds of movies, it reminds people of that. He’s not just a good comedian.”
According to Netflix, Baumbach has assembled an impressive supporting cast, including Laura Dern (Star Wars) as Jay’s publicist, Billy Crudup (The Morning Show) as his old acting buddy and Riley Keough (The Terminal List) and Grace Edwards (Asteroid City) as his two daughters.
Patrick Wilson (Insidious), Jim Broadbent (Harry Potter), Isla Fisher (Now You See Me), Eve Hewson (The Perfect Couple) and Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes) all have supporting roles in Jay Kelly as well.
Netflix has also confirmed that actress and filmmaker Greta Gerwig, who is married to Jay Kelly writer and director Baumbach, plays Sandler’s onscreen spouse. Paddington in Peru actress Emily Mortimer appears in Jay Kelly too, after cowriting the script with Baumbach.
Filming for ‘Jay Kelly’ Has Wrapped
Baumbach started filming Jay Kelly on location in New York City in March 2024, before expanding to shoot scenes in London and Tuscany, The Nation reported. Production wrapped two months later, allowing quite a long runway for Baumbach to get Jay Kelly ready for the 2025 festival circuit.
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Jay Kelly is a test run for producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman’s budding partnership, as they were picked by Amazon to create the next James Bond movie, seemingly in part based on their experience collaborating on the Netflix comedy.
When Will ‘Jay Kelly’ Be Released?
The world premiere of Jay Kelly will take place at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2025. It will compete for the prestigious Golden Lion Award, which has previously been won by classic movies Brokeback Mountain, Joker, Poor Things and, most recently, The Room Next Door in 2024.
Jay Kelly will then be screened at the 2025 New York Film Festival in September and October 2025, alongside awards season contenders such as Idris Elba’s political thriller A House of Dynamite, Bradley Cooper’s latest directorial effort Is This Thing On? and Julia Roberts’ mysterious drama After the Hunt, among more than a dozen others.
Jay Kelly’s limited theatrical run begins on November 14, before it receives a global streaming release via Netflix on December 5.
