Directed by Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire filmmaker Chris Columbus, Pixels casts Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop) as the President of the United States, who’s forced to recruit his childhood best friend (Sandler) to help save the world when alien invaders misinterpret video feeds of ’80s video games as a declaration of war. A former arcade champion, Sandler’s character must lead a team of old-school gamers played by Peter Dinklage and Josh Gad as they attempt to put their skills to the ultimate test.
Source Code and Gone Baby Gone actress Michelle Monaghan fills out the cast as the team’s special weapons expert, along with The Bourne Identity actor Brian Cox. The cast also includes Sean Bean, Jane Krakowski, and Chris Parnell.
The first trailer for Pixels premiered in March and became the most successful trailer debut in Sony Pictures’ history, attracting 34.3 million views in the first 24 hours it was online. It broke the record previously held by The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which generated 22 million views in the first 24 hours it was available.
The film’s script was penned by Sandler’s frequent collaborator, Big Daddy and Billy Madison writer Tim Herlihy, and Role Models and This Means War writer Timothy Dowling. The film’s plot was inspired by a short film of the same name created by Patrick Jean that was released in 2010 and featured pixelated aliens transforming the world into a mess of miniature cubes.
Pixels hits theaters July 24.
