Trailer Round-Up – October 22, 2016

Arrival Arrival, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario) is about a team of experts, lead by linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) who are sent to investigate the landings of mysterious spaceships across the globe. It's interesting to watch trailers for movies after seeing the movie in question (Arrival was shown at the BFI London Film Festival this year - you can read my full review here). The final trailer for Arrival is short and vague enough that even though it shows some pretty major moments, it doesn't actually reveal anything. Unlike the first trailer, which slowly builds tension, this one has a more rapid-fire approach which doesn't really fit the movie. The way the trailer is cut is fairly annoying at times as well. Arrival is set for a November 11, 2016 release. Logan From director James Mangold, Logan is the third solo Wolverine movie and will mark the final time actor Hugh Jackman will play the titular character. Sir Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Richard E. Grant and Stephen Merchant. Logan seems to be channeling the post-apocalyptic road-trip feel of the comic book storyline Old Man Logan, but with a greater emphasis on character and drama than over-the-top action. Not that there isn't action to be found - the international trailer featured here even includes a gruesome kill. The choice to use 'Hurt' by Johnny Cash to score the trailer was nothing short of inspired. This looks like a terrific final outing for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Logan is set for a March 3, 2017 release. Nocturnal Animals From writer/director Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals stars Academy Award nominees Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal as a divorced couple that re-unite and discover dark secrets about each other and themselves. Co-starring alongside them are Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Karl Glusman, Armie Hammer, Laura Linney, Andrea Riseborough and Michael Sheen. Like Arrival, Nocturnal Animals was shown at this year's BFI London Film Festival (you can read Sneh Rupra's review here). This trailer does a good job of setting up the basic premise and giving us lots of clips without context that nevertheless flow well with each other - a great way to show how intense and gripping the movie looks without giving away too many plot details. Nocturnal Animals is set for a limited release in late November and a wide release on December 9, 2016. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Writer and director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) as well as original cast members Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Karen Gillan return for the sequel of Marvel's surprise smash hit. After unveiling the first poster for the movie, Marvel also gave us a sneak peek - while not a proper trailer per say (it's set to 'Hooked on a Feeling' like the original trailer for the first Guardians of the Galaxy), it is the first footage from the movie to be shown and it looks pretty great. Everything that made the original so fun and exciting seems to be present. It remains to be seen if Vol. 2 can outdo the first movie, but this is a strong indication that it's on the right track. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is set for a May 5, 2017 release. Assassin's Creed Based on the video game franchise of the same, Assassin’s Creed, directed by Justin Kurzel, stars Michael Fassbender as Callum Lynch, a man who through the use of experimental technology can relive the memories of his ancestor, Aguilar, a member of a secret order known as the Assassins in 15th century Spain. Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons and Brendan Gleeson co-star. This trailer technically doesn't give us a lot more than the previous one - the same plot beats (convicted man is given the ability to relive the memories of his ancestor through experimental technology) are just given a little more context and there's obviously new footage to go with that. The music choice fits better this time around, but still sounds a little off to me given the subject matter - nevertheless, Assassin's Creed still looks like it genuinely might be the first pretty good video game movie. Very promising visually, great cast to back it up and what we've seen of the action looks excellent. Assassin's Creed is set for a December 21, 2016 release. A Cure for Wellness Directed by Gore Verbinski and scripted by Justin Haythe, A Cure for Wellness stars Dane DeHaan as an ambitious young executive who is sent to retrieve his company’s CEO from an idyllic but mysterious “wellness center” at a remote location in the Swiss Alps. He soon suspects that the spa’s miraculous treatments are not what they seem. When he begins to unravel its terrifying secrets, his sanity is tested, as he finds himself diagnosed with the same curious illness that keeps all the guests here longing for the cure. This is an unnerving trailer with a great sense of atmosphere and foreboding. The cinematography looks outstanding and the premise is certainly very intriguing. This is one to look out for. A Cure for Wellness is set for a February 17, 2017 release. The Boss Baby Tom McGrath directs The Boss Baby, a Dreamworks animated feature about a suit-wearing briefcase-carrying baby that pairs up with his seven-year-old brother to stop the dastardly plot of the CEO of Puppy Co. I think the premise speaks for itself, but if you're curious about the trailer as well, it's just as horrible as you might think. Babies and animals are at the low-bar of comedy - it's not that you can't be funny or creative in telling stories or jokes about them, but it's way too easy to just have babies or animals do things that babies or animals don't normally do. Look, he has a suit and a briefcase! Oh my, Alec Baldwin is a baby? This isn't quite Kevin Spacey as a cat levels of terrible, but it does look dull, uninspired and unfunny. The Boss Baby is set for a March 31, 2017 release.