The cult comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U’Know is finally bringing its long-awaited animated feature MARS to theaters.
Synergetic Distribution announced a special theatrical rollout that begins with an eight-city screening tour starting February 20 in Los Angeles at select Alamo Drafthouse locations. A nationwide theatrical release follows on March 13.
The film previously premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
What ‘MARS’ Is About
The story centers on Kyle, a guy who half-jokingly enters a contest to go to Mars just days before his wedding. When he actually wins, he bails on getting married to escape Earth.
Things go sideways fast.
The luxury Mars trip turns out to be a scam, his fellow passengers are completely unhinged, and the crew winds up stranded on the red planet with no way home. According to the official logline, chaos follows as the group discovers they’ve been duped by a scheming billionaire.
A Long Road To Release
The Whitest Kids U’Know formed at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and went on to run five seasons on IFC, becoming one of the most quoted and bizarre comedy acts of the 2000s.
MARS was conceived during the original sketch show’s run and later crowdfunded with help from the troupe’s fanbase on Twitch. The project took more than a decade to complete.
As Sam Brown explained, the film also serves as a final collaboration with the late Trevor Moore.
“After over a decade of work, we couldn’t be more excited about finally releasing ‘Whitest Kids U’ Know’s Mars,’” Brown said. “As the last project we will ever create with our beloved friend and leader, Trevor Moore, this is more than a movie to us. That being said it is still very dumb and very fun.”
Zach Cregger’s Post-WKUK Rise
Troupe member Zach Cregger has since become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand directors.
He broke out with the horror hit Barbarian, followed by the global success of Weapons, which is currently nominated for an Academy Award.
Who Directed ‘MARS’
The film was directed and produced by Sevan Najarian, whose credits include Mystery Science Theater 3000, Adult Swim’s Children’s Hospital, and numerous projects from Channel 101.
Screening Tour Dates And Cast Appearances
Zach Cregger, Sam Brown, Timmy Williams, Darren Trumeter, and director Sevan Najarian will attend select screenings for fan Q&As.
- Los Angeles, CA – February 20
- San Francisco, CA – February 21
- Mountain View, CA – February 22
- Denver, CO – February 27
- Austin, TX – February 28
- Chicago, IL – March 6
- Brooklyn, NY – March 7
- Manhattan, NY – March 8
- National theatrical release – March 13
Blu-Ray And Streaming Options
Alongside the theatrical run, MediaOCD will release the MARS Blu-ray on March 10, featuring more than nine hours of bonus content.
For those unable to attend a theatrical screening, the film will also be available through the North American platform Darkroom.
