‘The Roses’ Trailer: Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman Go to War in a Dark, Brutal Marriage Breakdown

Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman are pulling no punches in The Roses, a vicious, witty, and emotionally explosive reimagining of The War of the Roses. The first trailer for the dark comedy has arrived, teasing a love story turned battlefield — and it’s every bit as messy, elegant, and merciless as you’d expect.

Directed by Jay Roach (Bombshell, Trumbo) and written by Tony McNamara (The Favourite, Poor Things), The Roses offers a sharp new take on Warren Adler’s 1981 novel. The original 1989 adaptation, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, ended in full-blown chaos. This version? It looks like it’s aiming for something even more emotionally brutal — and somehow more relatable.

Cumberbatch and Colman play Theo and Ivy, a golden couple with a glossy California life. They have the kids, the careers, the picture-perfect marriage. But when Theo’s career crumbles and Ivy’s soars, their carefully curated love story unravels fast. Buried resentments, quiet power struggles, and years of unspoken frustration begin to detonate — all behind perfectly curated smiles.

“This is a parable of two people who loved each other intensely, then ended up hating each other intensely and missing the middle ground,” Cumberbatch told Vanity Fair. “Much of it is shockingly recognizable.”

The cast is stacked with talent: Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, Kate McKinnon, Ncuti Gatwa, Sunita Mani, Jamie Demetriou, Zoë Chao, and Belinda Bromilow all appear in supporting roles. Cumberbatch also serves as a producer through his SunnyMarch banner alongside Adam Ackland, Leah Clarke, Michelle Graham, Ed Sinclair, and Tom Carver.

If the trailer is anything to go by, The Roses won’t just be a divorce story. It’s a psychological autopsy of a marriage, peeling back the layers of pride, ego, fear, and the crushing need to “win” even at the cost of everything else.

Set to release in theaters on August 29, this is one breakup you won’t want to miss.