If we’ve learned anything from John Wick (and In a Valley of Violence), it’s not to mess with a tough guy’s dog. Alas, that’s exactly what happens to Bruce Willis in the action-comedy ONCE UPON A TIME IN VENICE, which just debuted its first trailer.
Willis plays Venice Beach P.I. Steve Ford, a detective who’s good with the ladies, bad with the punches, and wild about his dog Buddy. But when his beloved pet is stolen by local thugs, Steve makes a questionable alliance with their devious leader (Jason Momoa) and teams up with his best friend (John Goodman) to set things straight and get Buddy back where he belongs.
Yes, pet-driven revenge movies have practically become a sub-genre of their own, but this one sounds closer to Key and Peele’s Keanu than that other Keanu movie. In fact, Once Upon a Time in Venice boasts a pretty funny supporting cast that includes Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley), Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle) and Adam Goldberg (Dazed and Confused), as well as X-Men star Famke Janssen.
Mark Cullen directs from a script he co-wrote with Robb Cullen, and RLJ Entertainment will release the indie movie on June 16.
Jeff Sneider | Editor in Chief
