Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson navigate love triangle in new movie

In the first trailer for The Sun Never Sets, love gets messy—and the Alaskan wilderness only makes it more difficult. Marking director Joe Swanberg’s eagerly anticipated return to feature filmmaking, Jake Johnson and Dakota Fanning share the screen for the first time as a couple whose relationship is thrown into disarray when a “break” allows an old romance to resurface.

The poignant drama centers on Wendy (Fanning), whose plans for the future abruptly shift when her partner, Jack (Johnson), asks for space. While they are apart, she reunites with her ex-boyfriend Chuck (played by Cory Michael Smith), creating an unconventional love triangle.

The teaser displays the full weight of their emotional heartache. At one point, Jack pleads with Wendy, “I’m in love with you. Anything that he can offer you, I will offer you,” only for Wendy to fire back later, “You only wanted me when you thought you couldn’t have me anymore.”

For Johnson, deciding to join the project was simple. “The opportunity to collaborate with Joe” was more than enough, he shared. Swanberg also disclosed that the project hits close to home: “This story is very personal and draws from several autobiographical elements of my life.”

For Dakota Fanning, the stunning setting quickly became an integral part of the cast. “Alaska is almost the most important character in the film,” she stated. “Without the Alaskan landscape, it would be a completely different movie.”

The two lead actors also grew close off-camera during production. “Dakota and I lived next to each other and shared a rental car,” Johnson disclosed. “We saw glaciers together and were lucky enough to be there during salmon season.”

Additionally, fans will recognize a familiar face in the trailer, as Johnson shares a brief screen reunion with his New Girl co-star, Lamorne Morris. Johnson joked about the casting, saying, “He made the contractual things difficult, as usual.”

The Sun Never Sets is scheduled to premiere in select theaters on August 28, followed by a wide theatrical release on September 4.