Watch Bill Murray Sing Deep Purple in ‘Rock the Kasbah’ Trailer

Bill Murray hits all the right notes ”“ at least comedically ”“ in the hilarious first trailer for Rock the Kasbah. The veteran actor stars as Richie Lanz, a washed-up rock tour manager who drags his last remaining client (Zooey Deschanel) on a USO tour in Afghanistan, where the performer robs him blind and abandons him without his passport. Through a series of bizarre events, he discovers a talented singer (Leem Lubany) and manages her through the singing competition Afghan Star. “There’s got to be a reason for this,” Murray says in the clip. “This is fate.”

Murray, as expected, brings most of the teaser’s big laughs. On his plane ride to the Middle East, Lanz reassures the reluctant Deschanel character that she’ll “play in front of 2,000 horny soldiers.” (When the client “hurls” next to him, he cracks, “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell if you’re vomiting or laughing.”)

Toward the end of the trailer, he performs a spirited ”“ if out-of-tune ”“ a cappella version of Deep Purple’s brooding anthem “Smoke on the Water.” In keeping with the theme, the clip incorporates other classic rock tracks like David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” and Harry Nilsson’s “Jump Into the Fire.”

Rock the Kasbah hits theaters October 23rd. The film was written by Mitch Glazer (Scrooged), directed by Barry Levinson (Good Morning, Vietnam; Rain Man) and features an all-star cast that includes Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Danny McBride, Scott Kaan and Taylor Kinney.