Out of Order!, the 2025 courtroom comedy starring Brandon Routh, Brooke Shields and Luis Guzmán, has secured a new international distribution opportunity after Studio Dome acquired the film’s worldwide sales and distribution rights. The acquisition was announced on November 5, 2026, ahead of the American Film Market (AFM). Directed by Guy Jacobson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Megan Freels Johnston, the film follows a struggling lawyer who finds himself in an extraordinary legal predicament after representing both sides of the same case. The deal marks another step in the film’s journey following its festival screenings and award wins, although a theatrical release date has not yet been announced.
At the centre of the story is John Slater, played by Brandon Routh, a lawyer desperate to turn his life around and win back his former girlfriend. His attempt to rebuild his professional and personal life takes an unexpected direction when he accepts a position at a prestigious law firm while secretly retaining his previous job. The arrangement initially appears to offer him an opportunity to improve his circumstances, but the situation becomes increasingly complicated when he discovers that both firms are involved in the same lawsuit.
Rather than abandon one of his positions, John comes up with an increasingly complicated solution. He creates another identity and attempts to represent both sides of the case without being discovered. What follows is a series of professional and personal complications as he tries to maintain two separate working lives while keeping his secret from the people around him. The premise gives Routh an opportunity to play two distinct personalities within the same story, placing the character in situations where maintaining his carefully constructed arrangement becomes increasingly difficult.
The film’s premise takes it beyond a conventional courtroom comedy. Instead of focusing exclusively on legal arguments and courtroom confrontations, Out of Order! builds its humour around mistaken identities, professional conflicts and the consequences of one increasingly questionable decision. John’s efforts to manage his two jobs, relationships and competing responsibilities provide the central source of the comedy, with the legal setting adding another layer to the complications.
There is an interesting connection between the film’s subject and director Guy Jacobson’s professional background. Before moving into filmmaking, Jacobson worked as a Wall Street attorney and also clerked in federal court. His experience in the legal profession helped him understand the environment that forms the backdrop of the story. In an interview with Vents Magazine, Jacobson discussed the importance of getting the legal situations right while allowing the comedy to emerge naturally from them. His background provided a foundation for the courtroom elements, while the film’s central premise allowed him to explore the more absurd possibilities of the legal profession.
Jacobson also drew inspiration from classic comedies, including Mrs. Doubtfire, My Cousin Vinny and A Fish Called Wanda. These films helped shape the kind of humour he wanted to bring to Out of Order! Rather than relying on dark comedy, the filmmaker aimed to revisit a character-driven approach built around misunderstandings, quick dialogue and situations that become progressively more ridiculous. The influences are reflected in the film’s double-identity premise, where the central character’s attempts to keep his professional lives separate create the conditions for escalating comic complications.
The production also placed importance on the chemistry among the cast members. Before filming began, Jacobson organised a dinner at his home, encouraging the actors to get acquainted without discussing the movie. The idea was to allow the performers to develop a natural rapport away from the demands of their characters and the screenplay. Jacobson believed that genuine chemistry between the actors would make their interactions more convincing and strengthen the comedy.
That atmosphere also gave the performers room to improvise. During an interview with Cinema Scholars, Routh recalled an unscripted moment involving Luis Guzmán. In the scene, Guzmán’s character threatens to expose John’s secret, prompting Routh to instinctively cover his mouth. He then remembers that the character has a habit of biting people, turning the reaction into an unexpected comic moment. The incident illustrates how the actors’ interactions could produce additional humour beyond what was originally written in the screenplay.
The ensemble also includes Sam Huntington, Sandra Bernhard, Tao Okamoto, Krysta Rodriguez, Asher Grodman and Michael Potts. Huntington and Routh have previously worked together on Superman Returns (2006) and Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010), bringing an established professional association to the comedy. The wider cast brings together performers from different backgrounds, supporting the film’s character-driven approach and its emphasis on interactions between the people caught up in John’s increasingly complicated situation.
Out of Order! has already received recognition on the festival circuit. The film won the Audience Award at the 2025 Chelsea Film Festival before securing four honours at the 2026 Myrtle Beach International Film Festival. These included Best Overall, Best Feature, Best Comedy and Best Actor for Brandon Routh. The awards provide an important part of the film’s journey ahead of its next distribution phase, with recognition for both the production and Routh’s performance.
With its double-identity premise, courtroom setting and ensemble cast, Out of Order! draws on the traditions of character-driven comedy while placing its central character in an increasingly difficult professional predicament. Routh’s performance as John Slater anchors a story built around mistaken identities and escalating complications, while Jacobson’s legal background informs the film’s courtroom setting. Following its festival awards, the Studio Dome acquisition gives the film an opportunity to reach a wider international audience. A theatrical release date and further distribution details have not yet been announced.
