New Simon Pegg Trailer for Hector and the Search for Happiness

Simon Pegg has enjoyed unlikely success in recent years, taking on leading roles despite not fitting into Hollywood's conventional idea of what a male movie star should be. After fighting zombies, saving the world and even fixing the Enterprises warp drive, the British actor has now set his sights on... searching for happiness?

A new trailer for Hector and the Search for Happiness has just been released, which follows the titular Hector as he travels the world, visiting various countries to find out what makes people smile. Some may find it hard to understand why a successful psychiatrist based in London and married to Rosamund Pike (Pride & Prejudice, An Education) would be unhappy in the first place, but as they say, the grass is always greener...

Based on the novel by Francois Lelord, the upcoming drama has been compared to both Forrest Gump and Eat, Pray, Love for its fable like tone, but hopefully, it won't be the ultimate cheese-fest that this description implies. Pegg normally makes sound choices and with a cast that includes Toni Collete, Stellan Skarsgård, Jean Reno, and Christopher Plummer, one would hope that director Peter Chelsom should find it difficult to mess this one up... but perhaps I speak too soon. Chelsom's last directorial effort was Hannah Montana: The Movie and prior to that, he helmed the shockingly poor Richard Gere/Jennifer Lopez travesty Shall We Dance?

At times, it can be hard, but let's try our best to ignore Chelsom's past sins and look ahead to a brighter future with the new trailer for Hector and the Search for Happiness.

Will Hector find happiness? Will Rosamund Pike ever stop being beautiful? And will the lady at the end of the trailer ever master saying the word 'happiness' without sounding like a prostitute?

The answers to all these questions and more will be unveiled when Hector and the Search for Happiness hits UK cinemas August 15th. Just watch out for ironic uses of the word 'happy' by reviewers if the film doesn't meet their high expectations when August rolls around.