'Turn Up Charlie' Trailer: Idris Elba Goes From Record Spinning To Babysitting

Idris Elba is best known for being a badass in shows like Luther and movies likeĀ Pacific Rim and the Thor franchise. But now we'll see a completely different side to the actor as he dives head first into his own comedy series at Netflix.Turn Up Charlie follows Idris Elba as the titular character, a DJ who jumps from one woman to the next but can't seem to find enough success to feel secure in his own life. When he runs into an old movie star friend (JJ Felid), a job opportunity comes along, but it's not what he thinks. Suddenly, this DJ becomes a nanny to his friend's precocious, rebellious, young daughter. But it might just turn into the opportunity of a lifetime in more ways than one. Watch the Turn Up Charlie trailer below.

Turn Up Charlie Trailer

This feels a little hokey, almost like a heartwarming family movie from the 1990s where a grumpy adult softens after he starts spending some time with a kid who needs some guidance of their own. We used to see Disney use that formula over and over again with movies like First Kid, Jungle 2 Jungle, and more. But since this is hailing from British TV director and executive producer Tristram Shapeero (and executive producers and co-creators Idris Elba and Gary Reich), it has a little bit of an edge to it that makes it a little less hammy.

At the very least, I love seeing Elba with a role like this. It's always seemed like he'd be great in a comedy, but he's never really gone for laughs like this. Even his role on The Office was to be the stick in the mud that brought down the mood of Dunder-Mifflin. So having him living at home with him mother and brother while trying to manage a young girl who doesn't want much to do with him sounds like it could be fun.

Piper Perabo also stars in the series as JJ Felid's wife, who also happens to be pretty skilled on the music producing front, offering Charlie the chance to really get his career off the ground in a big way. But will it force him to choose between being friends with his new young buddy? That's usually how these kinds of things go, but we'll have to wait and see what happens.Turn Up Charlie hits Netflix on March 15, 2019 and Idris Elba is hosting Saturday Night Live the week before that.