Hugh Jackman aces Long Island accent in new Bad Education trailer

The new trailer for Hugh Jackman's ensemble dramedy Bad Education lays the accents — and the financial scandal — on thick.

Jackman leads the fact-based film as Frank Tassone, who presides over a Long Island school district with his assistant superintendent, Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney). Together, the pair has built the district into one of the nation's best, with record college admissions and increasing area property values until a crippling embezzlement scheme threatens to topple their creation.

Mike Makowsky (Reed Morano's I Think We're Alone Now) wrote the script for the film, which was directed by Cory Finley (Thoroughbreds) and premiered to positive reviews out of the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. There, Janney told EW she used her assistant's mother as partial inspiration for the dutiful Long Island accent she uses in the movie.

"She has a perfect [accent],” Janney said of her assistant's mom, adding that she picked up bits and pieces of the dialect from her grandparents while growing up. "I was like ‘Call your mother, I need to talk to her,’ and just listen to her … I love doing accents, as challenging [as they can be], it’s a lot of fun.”

Bad Education — also starring Ray Romano, Geraldine Viswanathan, Alex Wolff, Catherine Curtin, and Annaleigh Ashford — premieres April 25 on HBO. Watch the full trailer above.

Related content:

• Allison Janney shares inspiration for Bad Education Long Island accent
• Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively give $1 million to coronavirus relief (while trolling Hugh Jackman)
• Watch Chris Evans cuddle adorable puppies at EW’s TIFF photo studio