Comic-Con delivered trailers for «Star Trek Picard» through «Top Gun: Maverick» to «The Witcher». As a bonus, there's also the fail of the day: nightmare cats that sing. Nothing to do with Comic-Con. You have to see it anyway.
Comic-Con in San Diego, USA, has become the most important place for announcing new films and series. Hollywood didn't hold back this year either: Details about the upcoming «Terminator: Dark Fate» were revealed, plans concerning the fourth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universes were celebrated , as well as trailers shown. Lots of trailers.
Here's a list of the most interesting film and series trailers that were shown last weekend.
Andy Muschietti takes his place on the director's chair again in the sequel. Bill Skarsgård returns as a terrifying clown. The surviving children from the first part are now grown up, but not healed from their trauma. That's why they plan to put down the clown once and for all.
Release date in Swiss cinemas: 5/9/2019
The return of two legends: Jay and Silent Bob, two potheads of the highest calibre, travel to Hollywood together to prevent a reboot of their film «Bluntman and Chronic».
On board are of course the two main actors Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, with the latter also directing. Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Rosario Dawson are also jumping back in. In addition, there are guest appearances from Val Kilmer and Chris Hemsworth and yes... even more celebrities that I'm too exhausted to name.
Release date in Swiss cinemas: 15/10/2019
Although «Lost» co-creator Damon Lindelof is opposed to the term «sequel», all signs points towards HBO's «Watchmen» series being one after all. After all, the events from Zack Snyder's comic book adaptation form the past of the series continuity: the comedian is dead, Dan and Laurie have fallen in love, Ozymandias has saved the world and Dr. Manhattan has disappeared to Mars after shredding Rorschach.
What exactly the series is supposed to be about remains a mystery. So far we only know of fanatical cultists in Rorschach masks shouting «Tic-Toc» in unison, a heated conflict between policemen and former heroes who are now banned, and the return of Dr. Manhattan.
Start date: October 2019, HBO Max
So. After months of torture, Netflix finally grants us a fleeting glimpse at «The Witcher». The series is based on the novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowskis and not on the games of the same name.
The leading role of the sorcerer Geralt of Rivia is played by ex-Superman Henry Cavill. He was already a big fan of both the novels and games. Cavill himself insisted on not getting a stunt double in order to be able to do all the action scenes himself, as the role was important to him. I'm getting Tom Cruise vibes. But it's also mixed with some anticipation. Especially after that bombastic trailer.
Start date: end of 2019, Netflix
HBO is eagerly working on a replacement for «Game of Thrones». A potential candidate is «His Dark Materials,» based on the fantasy novels by Philip Pullman. When asked whether his children's books were also for adults, he's said to have replied that he doesn't write children's books, but adult books that should be read by children.
Fans agree: the trailer looks promising. Not only is the armoured polar bear accurately portrayed, but the spirit of the books as well. In addition, there's an interesting star-studded line-up including James McAvoy and the young Dafne Keen, who you might know from «Logan».
Start date: Unknown, but still 2019, HBO Max
Finally. The first, hotly anticipated real trailer for «Star Trek: Picard». The series takes place 20 years after Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) left Starfleet. Suddenly a mysterious woman appears and tries to persuade him to return. But until then – if at all – there are still some familiar faces from the nostalgic «Star Trek: The Next Generation». Data, for example. Or Seven of Nine.
Start date: End of 2019, CBS (USA) or Amazon Prime Video (rest of the world)
«Snowpiercer» is a TBS series which will become available on Netflix outside the USA soon. It's to be understood more as a reboot of the 2013 film adaptation with Chris Evans than as a reinterpretation of the 1982 comic «Le Transperceneige». It's about an experiment that should've stopped global warming, but did exactly the opposite: the earth has sunk into ice and snow; the cold has eradicated most of humanity.
Survivors race through the world in a train without halt. In it, there are strict hierarchies to ensure order. But while in some compartments pure luxury prevails, others have to starve and freeze in the rear wagons, crowded to the brim. A revolt is imminent.
Start date: Spring 2020, TBS (USA) or Netflix (rest of the world)
A sequel no one needs, but everyone wants? That's «Top Gun: Maverick,» for sure. 33 years after the original, Tom Cruise, a.k.a. Maverick, makes his living as a flight instructor. In his heart, however, he's still the same daredevil fighter pilot who prefers to simply fly instead of being promoted to a two-star general.
The trailer is full of jaw-dropping fighter jet shots, first-person perspectives just like in «Mission Impossible: Fallout,» which testify that Cruise still prefers to do his stunts himself, and a musical tribute to the original.
Release date in Swiss cinemas: 26/6/2020
The latest trailer for the upcoming third season of HBO's «Westworld» shows us that the series is abandoning its Wild West-based atmosphere and trading it in for one set during the Second World War. In addition, we see how some of the robot characters try to get along in the real world.
Start date: 2020, HBO Max
Last year, to end the 9. season – Spoiler Alert! – Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) left the group and thus the show. Still, Rick won't stay that far away: He is to return to a trilogy as the main character. The first film will even be shown in cinemas. Looks like we’re in for a treat.
Release date in Swiss cinemas: unknown
Okay, it's a long list. Still, I want to know: which trailer did you enjoy the most?
The competition has ended.
These trailers weren't shown at Comic-Con itself, but are still worth mentioning. Especially Brad Pitt's astronaut drama and some horribly frightening cats with curves and cursed songs.
We all know that Cardi B, Jennifer Lopez and Lizzo produce what they refer to as «music». We also know that Cardi B once earned money in strip clubs. And it can logically be assumed that she met some sexist assholes in the process. Now she's getting an opportunity for delayed revenge – even if it's only on the big screen.
She plays the leading role in the stripper comedy drama based on an article published around December 2015 in the New York Magazine: an article that tells a true, somewhat Robin Hood-esque story about a few strippers who steal from rich and disgusting men to – well – give not to the poor but to themselves.
Release date in Swiss cinemas: 13/9/2019
Wow. What a trailer. It gets by with less bombastic might than the first trailer. Instead, it's got more violins. They really get under your skin. Now I'm sure: it's a must-see for me.
The film's about astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), who travels to the edge of the solar system to find his father (Tommy Lee Jones), who was considered dead until then. His mission: to solve the mystery that threatens the survival of planet Earth.
Release date in Swiss cinemas: 20/9/2019
There are those who see a wonderfully bizarre adaptation of the popular musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber in the «Cats» trailer. He also did the «Phantom Of The Opera» Broadway musical, by the way.
Then there's most of us, who don't really get much pleasure out of human faces stapled onto CGI cat bodies. That group includes me. Maybe the star-studded crew will help save this whole dumpster fire somehow: Taylor Swift, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, James Corden, Ray Winstone... and so on.
Release date in Swiss cinemas: 20/12/2019
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I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.»