We have a trailer for a new movie from Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 2015) starring Natalie Portman whose filmography is so large it has its own Wikipedia article dedicated to it. The film is based off the Novel of the same name written by Jeff VanderMeer. The novel is the first of three in his Southern Reach Trilogy so I think it’s safe to say if this film does well we can expect two more of these movies…or if Hollywood stays true to form, 8 or 20 more, because, why not. The genre is Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction which falls squarely in Garlands area of interest. I thought Ex Machina was a decent little flick, nothing to scream to the heavens about, but a solid endeavor.
From what I read this series generally tells the tale of a secret agency called Southern Reach that handles expeditions into an uninhabited and abandoned section of the United States called Area X (In a couple of years they just call it Chicago). Nature is said to have ‘reclaimed’ this area, but judging from the trailer, nature has apparently learned a few new tricks. From the trailer we learn that Portman’s sweety (Oscar Isaac, (The Force Awakens, 2015)) comes down with some kind of illness, I’m guessing in order to save him she has to proceed into this Area X. She is accompanied by an all girl squad (whether this is true to the novel or a change made for the movie I couldn’t say). Funky effects, weird biology, and creature feature hijinks ensue. It looks like Portman gets to roll out her Ripley impersonation while the other ladies make like Star Trek redshirts.
Looks like the kind of flick I’d stream during a quiet Saturday afternoon…which isn’t a condemnation.
These projects are all well and good but I’m still waiting for my sequel to The Professional Natalie…the clock is a tickin.
Annihilation starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tessa Thompson invades theaters February 23, 2018
