The Room director Tommy Wiseau has revealed the trailer for his (maybe) long-anticipated follow-up movie, Big Shark. The premise of the movie is that George (Greg Sestero), Tim (Isaiah LaBorde), and Patrick (Wiseau) must rescue the city of New Orleans from a giant shark that seems not to be constrained by the sea; in the trailer it apparently has the ability to travel anywhere with even light flooding. That’s rather impressive endurance and adaptability for a shark.
The Big Shark trailer actually reveals little, mostly containing a prolonged “boxing” “match” that makes no sense. It seems to be set up as if it’s a professional match, except there doesn’t appear to be an audience. If it’s an amateur match, then they should be wearing headgear. However, one can presume this movie will not let logic get in the way of its “story.”
But that’s actually the big problem with the trailer and potentially the movie: Tommy Wiseau is no longer ignorant of how the world perceives him or his work. Wiseau has been “in on the joke” for decades now, which means the incomprehensible sincerity that made The Room an inimitable classic is no longer possible. Indeed, the second half of the Big Shark trailer is just nonsensical speeches from Tommy Wiseau and others and black-and-white basketball games, the sort of self-aware meta “humor” intended to evoke old Adult Swim sketches. That kind of humor just doesn’t really work for a guy like Wiseau. (Oh, but you can buy the Tommy Wiseau-brand underwear that is apparently being advertised in that scene?)
Then again, Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero (Mark in The Room) have worked on several more projects together to varying levels of success in the intervening years, including the two-volume film Best F(r)iends, which Sestero directed. They aren’t going anywhere, and no one’s telling them to leave either. They’re beloved individuals, and this reminds me that I should probably rewatch both The Room and The Disaster Artist.
Big Shark will receive a gradual premiere rollout at theaters in select cities where Wiseau himself will appear, per Variety. In related bizarre news, Bob Odenkirk is starring in a remake of The Room created to benefit charity.
