Director Danny Boyle and writer Richard Curtis give us a world where the Beatles never existed in the first trailer for the musical comedy Yesterday. Boyle of course was all set to direct Bond 25 when he abruptly exited the project, choosing instead to focus on this romantic fantasy penned by the writer of Love, Actually.

The high-concept Yesterday stars Himesh Patel as Jack, an aspiring singer-songwriter who survives a bus accident during a freak global blackout and wakes up in a world where The Beatles never existed. But Jack still knows all the Beatles' great songs even after crossing over to this bizarre alternate universe, and by passing them off as his own, becomes a worldwide mega-star. This being a romantic comedy, Jack's rise to stardom puts him in jeopardy of losing the most important person in his life, his childhood best friend Ellie (Lily James). SNL's Kate McKinnon also stars as Jack's ruthless American agent Debra.

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Universal Pictures has now shared the first trailer for Yesterday, giving the world a taste of Boyle and Curtis' blend of fantasy, music and romantic comedy. Real-life pop star Ed Sheeran also shows up, playing himself. In one of the trailer's funniest moments, Sheeran suggests an alternate title for "Hey Jude" that might have Beatles fans throwing things at the screen. See the trailer below. Also check out the movie's poster.

Yesterday movie poster

Boyle has indeed enjoyed an eclectic career, with everything from zombie movies (28 Days Later) to harrowing true-life drama (127 Hours) to pure feel-good Oscar bait (Slumdog Millionaire) on his resume. Boyle had been set to take a leap into true blockbuster filmmaking with Bond 25, but that didn't work out for him, and instead he's gone for yet another new genre in romantic comedy. If Boyle felt any trepidation about diving into the rom-com pool, it surely helped to be working from a script by Curtis, a man who has largely mastered the form after penning Notting Hill and Love, Actually.

It remains to be seen if Boyle's take on romantic comedy will join the likes of Love, Actually on the list of that genre's most-beloved entries. Yesterday certainly has an intriguing, if far-fetched premise, and judging by the trailer, newcomer Patel has charm to spare. It also doesn't hurt to have the ever-hilarious McKinnon in the mix to give the story a little comedic kick in the teeth when needed. The movie also stars Blade Runner 2049's Ana De Armas and New Girl's Lamorne Morris.

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Source: Universal Pictures