The filmmakers behind the viral short starring Jamie Costa as Robin Williams have released a new short film.
A new short film from The Lewis brothers delves into the relationship between Hollywood legends Jack Nicholson And John Belushi. Described as “sort of” based on a true story, dubbed the proof-of-concept short The cowboy and the samuraifunctions Jamie Costa as Nicholson and Sandy Danto as Belushi. Costa previously played Robin Williams in a short film that went viral in 2021 when it was released online. You can see the sequel by watching the full short film of The cowboy and the samurai below.
The official synopsis reads: “In 1978, world-renowned movie star Jack Nicholson made his feature film debut, a Western called To the south. Against his producers’ advice, he casts up-and-coming comedian John Belushi. Both John and Jack are known as Hollywood’s biggest baddies and both are about to meet their match.”
Jake Lewis directed the short film using a script co-written with Sam Lewis. Speak with Variety on the project, Jake Lewis clarified that while the film leans more towards fantasy than reality in terms of what happens, the goal was still to stay true to Nicholson and Belushi with the film’s portrayals of these iconic actors.
“We’ve stayed true to the overall vibe of who these icons are, but it’s more of a fantasy,” he said. “It really stands with one foot off the ground.”
The Lewis Brothers’ previous short film about Robin Williams went viral
In 2021, the Lewis Brothers and Jamie Costa caused a bit of a stir when a short film came online starring the latter as Robin Williams. In that short film, set during Williams’ Mork and Mindy days, the funny man learns that his good friend John Belushi has passed away. Costa’s Williams can then be seen trying to internalize the pain in his dressing room before putting on a happy face to go out and continue filming on his sitcom. The short drew a lot of attention at the time, and Costa’s portrayal of Williams had many fans hoping for a full-length biopic.
“I think our success comes from not feeling the need to hit every point in that person’s life,” Jake Lewis also says of these types of shorts that do well. “We think it’s more effective to explore and magnify someone’s true character through a specific, lesser-known moment.”
For more from the Lewis Brothers, check them out official YouTube channel.