Spider-Man: Homecoming
Directed by Jon Watts and written by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, Jon Watts & Christopher Ford, and Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, Spider-Man: Homecoming will be the first Spider-Man feature length movie as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Homecoming stars Tom Holland, who made his debut as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in this year’s Captain America: Civil War, as well as Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark and Michael Keaton as the villain The Vulture. Zendaya, Jon Favreau, Donald Glover and Tyne Daly are also part of the cast.
The second Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer falls into the familiar blockbuster trapping of giving away too much (the major beats of the third act for instance), but considering the real risk of audiences suffering from Spider-Man fatigue after so many movies, it might be for the best. The marketing needs to make sure this movie stands out - to that end, the trailer continues to emphasize the MCU connection, highlighting the importance of Tony Stark, as well as having fun references, like the Captain America fitness challenge. It's a far more memorable and action-packed trailer. By the looks of it, Spider-Man: Homecoming will continue Marvel's winning streak.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is set for a July 7, 2017 release.
IT
When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids are faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries. Andrés Muschietti directed IT from a screenplay by Chase Palmer & Cary Fukunaga and Gary Dauberman, based on the novel by Stephen King.
The record-breaking trailer for IT shows there's a tremendous amount of interest in another adaptation of the source material. As someone who has neither read the book nor seen the original adaptation, the trailer lacked the nostalgic or sentimental appeal it might have had for many fans. While I didn't find the trailer itself all that scary, it certainly shows off some creepy moments and unsettling imagery. It looks like an impressive production that's on the right track and judging by the positive reactions, many fans are quite keen on this new take on the story.
IT is set for a September 8, 2017 release.
War for the Planet of the Apes
In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.
Like Spider-Man: Homecoming, the War of the Planet of the Apes gives way too much of the plot away in its trailer - it shows Caesar getting captured, the final confrontation between Caesar and the colonel, reveals that there's an ape working the humans etc. It certainly looks like it's going to be a great movie, with a grand sense of scale to the conflict, but the trailer really didn't need to show so much.
War for the Planet of the Apes is set for a July 14, 2017 release.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
From writer and director Luc Besson and based on the French science fiction comic book series Valérian and Laureline, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets stars Dave DeHaan and Cara Delevingne as special operatives for the government of the human territories, charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. They are sent by their Commander (Clive Owen) to the intergalactic city of Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis comprised of thousands of different species from all four corners of the universe.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets makes a much stronger and clearer impression with its second trailer. It looks like Besson's sci-fi classic The Fifth Element merged with the richly saturated eye candy of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The plot itself is still not entirely clear and there isn't a good sense of character for the leads, but the trailer itself makes a compelling case just on the back of how gorgeous and imaginative everything looks.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is set for a July 21, 2017 release.
A Ghost Story
Written and directed by David Lowery, A Ghost Story follows a ghost (Casey Affleck) silently observes his grieving widow (Rooney Mara) in his beloved home.
There's an undeniable sense of artsy pretentiousness to the trailer for A Ghost Story, which certainly works in its favor. It's bizarre, mysterious and poetic in that odd way that you'll either be fascinated or immediately put off by. Unusual doesn't always mean good, but in terms of the trailer, it helps A Ghost Story stand out and make an impression.
A Ghost Story is set for a July 7, 2017 release.
The Book of Henry
Sometimes things are not always what they seem, especially in the small suburban town where the Carpenter family lives. Single suburban mother Susan Carpenter (Naomi Watts) works as a waitress at a diner, alongside feisty family friend Sheila (Sarah Silverman). Her younger son Peter (Jacob Tremblay) is a playful 8-year-old. Taking care of everyone and everything in his own unique way is Susan’s older son Henry (Jaeden Lieberher), age 12, whose creativity is without limits. Protector to his adoring younger brother and tireless supporter of his often self-doubting mother – and, through investments, of the family as a whole – Henry blazes through the days like a comet. Susan discovers that the family next door, which includes Henry’s kind classmate, 12-year-old Christina (Maddie Ziegler), has a dangerous secret – and that Henry has devised a surprising plan to help. As his brainstormed rescue plan for Christina takes shape in thrilling ways, Susan finds herself at the center of it. The Book of Henry is directed by Colin Trevorrow.
The Book of Henry trailer goes through quite a few shifts in direction. It starts off quirky, which is an undercurrent running throughout, then moves into more dramatic territory and finally swings into a dark, almost thriller-like direction. It's a tough balancing act that the trailer doesn't really pull off, because it doesn't have enough time to settle on a particular mood. It's confusing and not in a way that necessarily makes you want to learn more.
The Book of Henry is set for a June 16, 2017 release.
