TV Article Maggie Smith is down on her luck in The Lady in the Van trailer By Megan Daley Published on October 30, 2015 08:34PM EDT The new trailer for The Lady in the Van, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year, offers a look into the unlikely friendship forged between an elderly woman named Miss Shepherd and writer Alan Bennett (The History Boys). Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings star in the buzzy film adapted by Bennett from his memoir and stage production (which starred Smith). The Lady in the Van follows the true story of Miss Shepherd, who parks her van in front Bennett’s driveway, and stays put for another 15 years. “I’m a sick woman looking for a last resting place,” she tells him. Bennett insists that there is no “caring” involved, but he does help her piece together parts of her past, including her former love of music. And while she may be down on her luck, Shepherd isn’t going to take any “sweetheart” comments from strangers. Directed by Nicholas Hytner, The Lady in the Van cast also includes Dominic Cooper, James Corden, Frances de le Tour, Jim Broadbent, and Russell Tovey. It opens in theaters on Jan. 15.