Warner Bros. has released the first trailer forThe Nice Guys, finally giving us a look at the next film fromKiss Kiss Bang BangandIron Man 3filmmakerShane Black. Described by black as either a comedy with action or a thriller with jokes, the noir takes place in the 1970s Los Angeles and revolves around a down-on-his-luck private eye (Ryan Gosling) who must team up with a hired leg-breaker (Russell Crowe) to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star.
Watch the trailer forThe Nice Guysbelow. The film also starsKim Basinger,Matt Bomer,Margaret Qualley, andTy Simpkinsand opens in theaters on July 18, 2025.
Shane Black absolutely wasn’t kidding when he called this thespiritual sequel toKiss Kiss Bang Bang, and boy was it a good call to make the first trailer a red-band. It has all the trappings and trademarks of what made Black’s directorial debut so delightful – the odd-couple leading duo, the seedy Los Angeles underworld lying just beneath the glitz and glam of Hollywood, the zippy dialogue, the profound acts of stupidity, the grammar humor, the moments of gruesome violence, and of course, the heavy noir influence. Hell, even thoughThe Nice Guysleans hard into the aesthetic of its 1970s setting, it shares the vibrant, colorful palette ofKiss Kiss Bang Bang. However, in an unusual move for Black’s filmography, it does not appear to be set at Christmas.
And yet, and perhaps this is just because I’m a Shane Black loyalist, I have faithThe Nice Guyswill be its own movie entirely. I already like our leading characters, the trailer made me laugh out loud twice, and visually, it looks first rate. A couple of the comedic bits – the bathroom stall gag, in particular – didn’t quite land, but that’s nowhere near enough to preventThe Nice Guysfrom landing firmly in the upper ranks of my most anticipated films of 2016.
Here’s the synopsis forThe Nice Guys:
“The Nice Guys” takes place in 1970s Los Angeles, when down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Gosling) and hired leg-breaker Jackson Healy (Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.
