Last month, the king of movie magic, the father of the modern blockbuster, Steven Spielberg, failed to inspire audiences to come to see “The BFG.” So, can J.A. Bayona deliver something moviegoers will be interested in seeing with his creature feature, “A Monster Calls“? This new trailer certainly hopes to do the trick.
Led by newcomer Lewis MacDougall, and featuring Liam Neeson as the titular monster, Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, and Toby Kebbell, the adaptation of Patrick Ness‘ novel centers on a young boy grappling with the death of his terminally ill mother, who meets a giant creature that has a unique offer to make. And for Bayona, his movie is about the difficulties of growing up.
“Everyone facing big things in their life feels helpless like a kid,” the director told USA Today. “It’s very interesting when you tell the story through the eyes of a young boy who’s turning into a man. Everyday life doesn’t work as a fairy tale, and every kid should learn that as they grow up.”
“A Monster Calls” opens on October 21st, and the moving song in the trailer is M83‘s “Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun.”
8/30/16 update: Focus Features had changed the release date of “A Monster Calls” to a limited top 10-city run on December 23 before going wide in 1,500 theaters on January. 6. Sounds like the picture is going for an awards run.
