Just as Connecticut College’s film program has experienced growth and expansion through the past year, so has the career of 1999 Conn alumnus Lee Eisenberg. Eisenberg previously gained notoriety for his work on Year One (2009), Bad Teacher (2011), HBO’s Hello Ladies (2013), and seasons 2 through 6 of The Office (2005-2010) with his writing partner Gene Stupnitsky. Last year saw the release of the writing duo’s film Good Boys, a raunchy coming-of-age story about a trio of sixth-grade boys. The film went on to become the highest grossing original R-rated comedy of 2019 (arguably second-highest grossing depending on whether you, like the Golden Globes, consider Quentin Tarantino’s Manson-era masterpiece Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood a comedy).
Apple TV+, Apple’s answer to Netflix that just launched this past November, recently released Eisenberg’s latest project, Little America, onto its platform. The series is about immigrant experiences in the United States, and each episode is based upon one of the true stories featured in the “Little America” column in Epic Magazine. The eight-episode season features a wide variety of stories, ranging from a young Indian boy left with no choice but to manage his family inn on his own after his parents are deported to a lonely Nigerian grad student becoming enamored with Oklahoma cowboy culture. In the only episode Eisenberg shares a writing credit on, an Iranian parking attendant and aspiring quail-egg salesman looks for a way to find a better home for his family with very limited financial means. The show currently stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and, according to Deadline, has already been renewed for a second season. Additionally, Eisenberg has inked a multi-year deal that will see him create television and digital media projects exclusively for Apple TV+ via his new Piece of Work Entertainment banner. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Eisenberg brought up that he is working with Gene Stupnitsky to make both another movie and a Disney+ show with Ryan Reynolds. From the looks of it, the world will be seeing a lot more from this former Camel. •
