‘It’s Florida, Man’ Trailer: Jake Johnson, Simon Rex, and Juliette Lewis Go Down South for ‘Drunk History’-Style Stranger Than Fiction Series
There is a common refrain upon reading an unhinged news story: It probably happened in Florida, right?
From Lana Del Rey marrying an alligator farmer to a whole “Atlanta” episode dedicated to the Florida Man myth, the southermost state in the U.S. has an infamous lore all its own. And now, the state itself is getting the “Drunk History” treatment to capture all of its stranger than fiction tales.
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HBO’s unscripted comedy series “It’s Florida, Man,” co-created by executive producers Jeff Tomsic and Mark Herwick, brings those WTF Florida stories to the screen, complete with interviews with the real-life people who lived out the crazy tales.
Anna Faris, Jake Johnson, Sam Richardson, Jon Gries, Juliette Lewis, Ego Nwodin, Randall Park, Bobby Lee, Simon Rex, and more stars assemble to portray the stories. Iconic Florida-based author Carl Hiassen also makes an appearance.
Per the official synopsis, each episode centers on a Floridian who “shares an anecdote you wouldn’t believe unless it’s reenacted by your favorite actors and comedians as they lip sync the, sometimes bizarre, dialogue.”
“It’s Florida, Man” hails from the team behind “Eastbound and Down” and fellow HBO series “The Righteous Gemstones.” Bryan Storkel is the showrunner and executive producer.
Tomsic, who also directs the series, told IndieWire that Florida is best known to being the go-to safe haven for the United States’ “wackjobs,” hence the genesis of “It’s Florida, Man.”
“Florida is a beautiful place and it attracts a lot of invasive species: pythons, iguanas, and wackjobs. (I guess I’m one of those wackjobs. I live in Florida now.) I mean, the unofficial state motto is, ‘Come on vacation, stay for probation,'” Tomsic said. “I really fell in love with the wackiness of Florida when I read Carl Hiassen’s ‘Double Whammy’ as a kid. My uncle, who was a vice president at the University of Florida when Carl was a student, turned me onto him. That book, and the rest of Carl’s work, was pretty life-changing for me. I guess I’ve been obsessed with exploring the Sunshine State and its weirdness ever since. The day Carl agreed to be in the show was pretty happy one for me. I think it’s also because Florida – and this is one of the things I love about living here – is that it’s a place where you can truly be yourself. For better… or for worse.”
Tomsic added that he reached out (“called and/or pestered”) his A-list friends to appear on the show.
“Simon, Jake, and the whole cast were extremely supportive — they’re all dear to my heart,” Tomsic said, adding that working with Danny McBride and David Gordon Green’s Rough House was a “dream come true.” Brandon James and McBride are also executive producers on the show.
“‘Eastbound’ and ‘Gemstones’ are works of art to me. And Danny, David, and Jody are gods,” he said. “They handle both beauty and insanity with equal brilliance. So many depictions of the South feel inauthentic and often based on misunderstanding. What I love about ‘Eastbound’ and ‘Gemstones’ is that they treat the South with genuine adoration.”
Tomsic created a “mile-long” spreadsheet of all the possible “fascinating, banana-shit” Florida stories to include in the series.
“The majority of ‘Florida Man’ stuff you see is actually sort of mean-spirited and is often poking fun at people or events that on are pretty sad or unfortunate. It’s just clickbait. We tried to approach this show with a sense of affection, searching for optimism, looking for unique perspectives in unlikely places and trying to listen to people you normally wouldn’t hear from on television — although we were definitely looking for craziness,” he said. “The story selection process was quite long because we wanted people and stories that made you first think, ‘This person is insane!’ But by the end, maybe made you think, ‘Maybe I’m the insane one. Maybe this person — this witch, this mermaid or this man who had an arm bitten off— maybe they’re not crazy. Maybe they’re the ones who have it all figured out.'”
And yes, maybe even Lana Del Rey’s story might be included in future seasons.
“I really hope we are lucky enough to do a Season 2 so we can share more,” Tomsic said. “All I know is I’d sure like to go on one of that gentleman’s [Del Rey’s husband] swamp tours [and] I’d personally love to find the Skunk Ape of the Everglades.”
Tomsic concluded, “Even though ‘It’s Florida, Man’ is nuts, it’s genuinely meant to be a love letter to this fascinating part of the country.”
“It’s Florida, Man” premieres October 18 on HBO and Max. Check out the trailer below.
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