KJ Apa’s Jimmy Stewart voice already has me shook
KJ Apa’s career has gone into places that no one could have really predicted. He modernized Archie Comics’ titular goofball throughout seven seasons of The CW’s Riverdale. He very, very briefly was set to play a DC superhero. He may or may not be moonlighting, Hannah Montana-style, as an outrageous indie musician.
On Wednesday, we got a look at yet another evolution of his career… and honestly, I am so here for it. The first trailer for Jimmy, the upcoming biopic starring Apa as iconic actor Jimmy Stewart, has been released. (Just in time for everyone to rewatch Stewart’s 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life this holiday season.) Jimmy will chronicle Stewart’s decision to enlist and becoming a combat pilot and commander in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II after winning the best actor Oscar for his work in The Philadelphia Story.
“Jimmy Stewart was an American Hero,” Apa said in a statement Wednesday. “He was among a certain breed of men who understood the true meaning of sacrifice by fighting for our freedom. He was also among the greatest actors of all time starring in over 80 movies and winning one Academy Award for best actor. His story is one of strength and purpose, love and honor, fame and war. His story is one that begs us to think of the greater good and to be willing to fight for it.”
The cast of Jimmy also includes Kara Killmer as Lady Julia; Neal McDonough as Stewart’s father, Alexander; Max Casella as Frank Capra; Jason Alexander as Louis B. Mayer; Christopher McDonald as Lionel Barrymore; Sarah Drew as Hedda Hopper; Rob Riggle as Colonel Terrill; Julian Works as Second Lieutenant Martinez; and Jen Lilley as Gloria Stewart. It also features a cameo from Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life.
Honestly? This casting is great.
When Apa first landed the titular role in Jimmy in August of this year, the Internet (and especially Old Hollywood fans) had a lot to say on the matter. While I definitely hadn’t thought of him to play Stewart, I also couldn’t imagine another actor who could take on the role. Plus, I knew from watching seasons of Apa going through the epic highs and lows of Riverdale that he was more than capable of delivering a captivating dramatic performance.
And yet, I was still floored at just how good Apa’s take on Stewart is in this trailer. Does a part of me still see Archie Andrews or Mr. Fantasy during certain shots of this trailer? Yes, but I’m sure the immersion will stick even more in the context of the full movie. He already absolutely nails Stewart’s unique voice in a way that feels far beyond a corny impression, and just based on his recreation of the bar scene from It’s a Wonderful Life, I’m excited to see how he embodies Stewart’s actual onscreen performances. (The film’s proximity to The Philadelphia Story makes me hopeful that we’ll get to see him drunkenly saying “Whee!”)
It also helps that the tone established in the trailer for Jimmy is so incredibly earnest. It treats Stewart’s career, and the impact that his movies had on the world, with a gravity that I wasn’t quite expecting. Riggle’s character saying that “America can’t afford to lose Jimmy Stewart” is a funny line out of context, but it is still indicative of a real and tangible connection that people have had to the actor, even to this day. As someone with that connection who still continues to fall in love with his films, I genuinely can’t wait to watch this.
Jimmy is set to be released on November 6, 2026.
(featured image: Burns & Co.)
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