J.J. Abrams is ready to come out of hiding and embark on the Great Beyond.
The filmmaker, who just shockingly downsized his mini-studio Bad Robot, unveiled the first look at his new action project, which he is directing and stars Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega, at CinemaCon. Plot details have been kept under wraps since the project was announced, but movie fans have been paying close attention as it is Abrams’ first feature film since 2019’s Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.
Abrams said on stage: “I’ve been very fortunate to work on franchises and movies that are bigger than all of us, which was great. But at some point, I really felt like I had to go back to telling original stories. That’s where I started. That’s what I’m most passionate about.” “The seed of this idea came to me many years ago, but it took a long time to write, partly because of the extensive world-building. I didn’t want it to be just one thriller, mystery, love story, sci-fi, etc. I wanted it to be a little bit of all of those things. I also wanted it to be something big that different people could go see in theaters for generations.”
Plot details were kept under wraps in the trailer, but it’s clear that Powell and Ortega’s characters will be traveling through a mysterious otherworld. The trailer opens with a famous quote from H.G. Wells (“There is another world that neither sight nor sound can reach, though we do not know how it exists or how it exists”) and shows all sorts of retro machines and computers starting up. The cast, including Emma Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson, explore this new shadow reality, and the trailer ends with an eerie shot of someone turning a key.
“I wanted it to be thrilling and moving,” Abrams said. “It’s about a lot of things, but at its core, this movie is about reconnecting with that sense of wonder and possibility that we had as children. I think that’s something that a lot of people get overwhelmed and lose over time. It’s about preserving that belief in yourself.”
Set for wide release on November 13th, Abrams will serve as writer and director. He also produces with Tommy Gormley. The supporting cast also includes Sophie Okonedo and Merritt Wever.
