David Wain on Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass

David Wain joins us to talk about his new comedy, Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass — a Sundance 2026 Official Selection starring Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, and John Slattery, from Sony Pictures Classics.

The premise is deliberately, gloriously absurd: a Midwestern bride-to-be discovers her fiancé has used his "celebrity pass" to cheat — and sets off for Los Angeles to even the score with her own pass, Jon Hamm. What follows is a full-tilt Hollywood comedy that never apologizes for being exactly what it is.

We talk with Wain about writing the film with longtime collaborator Ken Marino, assembling a cast that spans three generations of comedy, shooting an original comedy entirely on location in Los Angeles, and why comedy for comedy's sake has become an increasingly rare thing to see on screen.

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is directed by David Wain, written by Ken Marino & David Wain, and releases in theaters July 10, 2026, from Sony Pictures Classics.

0:00 Intro: David Wain on Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass 0:52 Clip: The Hollywood Journey Begins 1:45 Meet David Wain 2:25 Why Make a Pure Comedy Now? 5:10 The Celebrity Pass Premise 8:42 Clip: The Joke Gets Complicated 9:28 Casting Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm & John Slattery 12:40 From The State to Wet Hot American Summer 16:05 Why This Comedy Refuses to Apologize 20:15 Shooting an Original Comedy in Los Angeles 23:30 Building Ensemble Chaos 26:40 Clip Breakdown: Absurdity and Emotion 27:50 Why Comedy Belongs in Theaters 31:05 Audience Reactions and Festival Buzz 34:30 What David Wain Hopes Viewers Feel 36:50 Closing Thoughts

INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE is an in-depth conversation series with filmmakers across independent and arthouse cinema. Hosted by Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge in partnership with Laemmle Theatres. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices