Watch Ben Kingsley befriend an alien who crashed to Earth in new UFO comedy ‘Jules’ (exclusive)

UFOs and aliens are everywhere these days.

The sometimes heated topic of flying saucers and UFOs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) as they’re now known, is taking center stage on Capitol Hill this week as the U.S. House of Representatives begins their hearings on recent unexplained sightings, and the public hopes to learn more about the government’s speculated coverup of evidence pointing to intelligent alien visitors from beyond.

As the UFO debate and whistleblower testimonies continue bringing mainstream attention to the topic usually reserved for science fiction, Hollywood is jumping into the fascinating UAP controversy with a new indie sci-fi comedy being released this summer by Bleecker Street titled, “Jules.”

Related: UFOs will remain mysterious without better data, NASA study team says

Directed by Marc Turtletaub (“Puzzle”) from a script by Gavin Steckler and squarely aimed at more mature theatergoers, “Jules” stars Ben Kingsley (“Schindler’s List”), Harriet Sansom Harris (“Licorice Pizza”), Jane Curtin (“SNL,” “3rd Rock from the Sun”), Zoe Winters (“Succession”), and Jade Quon (“Transformers: The Last Knight”).

Here’s the official synopsis:

“Jules follows Milton (Kingsley) who lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extraterrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extraterrestrial he calls Jules. Things become complicated when two neighbors (Harris and Curtin) discover Jules and the government quickly closes in. What follows is a funny, wildly inventive ride as the three neighbors find meaning and connection later in life  —  thanks to this unlikely stranger.”

“Jules” appears to be conceived as an aged relative of classic movies like “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” with Elliott and his adolescent friends replaced here with senior citizens. It also has a distinct “Cocoon”-like vibe with its lighter tone reflecting the humanistic themes of that excellent Ron Howard-directed movie from 1985.

Targeted to Hollywood’s “lost audience,” its world premiere occurred at the 2023 Sonoma International Film Festival, where “Jules” was honored as the opening night selection and was bestowed with the Stolman Audience Award for Best Feature.

“Jules” touches down in movie theaters nationwide on August 11, 2023.