'Coastal Elites' trailer shows Bette Midler, Sarah Paulson social distancing

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- HBO released a trailer for its upcoming comedy Coastal Elites on Monday. The special presentation premieres Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. on HBO.

In the trailer, characters played by Sarah Paulson, Dan Levy, Issa Rae and Kaitlyn Dever address the camera via video chat. Bette Midler plays a character in a holding cell with an overhead camera.

Paul Rudnick created and wrote Coastal Elites, a story of characters trying to connect despite divisive politics. The COVID-19 pandemic added another level of distance to the production. Director Jay Roach and Rudnick adapted filming to meet COVID-19 safety protocols.

Rudnick says he began writing Coastal Elites one year ago, to address the frustrations people on both sides of the political aisle felt.

"These were people who demanded to be heard, who had stories," Rudnick said on a recent Television Critics Association panel. "These monologues sort of burst forth."

Roach said prior to the pandemic, his plan was to film the actors performing monologues at The Public theater. Roach ended up directing the actors remotely in their own homes.

"I'd have them walk around with their computers, and show me what their house would look like if it was the background," Roach said. "The sets are actually really nice, because they picked the right lighting and the right backgrounds."