Set to unspool before TIFF crowds in just a few short weeks, Denis Villeneuve‘s thriller “Prisoners” looks to have more than just your average potboiler antics up its sleeve, bolstered in turn by lead performances from Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. Warner Bros. is prepping the film for a solid fall run as well, and so they’ve released a new TV spot, while also getting the early word out on their sequel to Zack Snyder‘s “300.”
With a ticking clock emphasis at its center, the “Prisoners” spot quickly conveys the struggle of Jackman’s character, a father who tries to locate his kidnapped daughter and her friend before it’s too late. As the investigation, aided by Gyllenhaal, turns up a local creep (Paul Dano) but nothing convincing, Jackman decides to take unlawful measures to uncover the truth. The film looks extremely tense, and we’ll definitely keep an eye out after its TIFF premiere when it’s released September 20th.
Somewhat less enticing is “300: Rise of an Empire,” the follow-up to Zack Snyder’s hit adaptation of Frank Miller‘s graphic novel. Those who survived the first film return—Lena Headey and Rodrigo Santoro, primarily—as Greek general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) leads another army against the all-powerful Xerxes (Santoro). Snyder’s only producing this time (watch how skillfully the lightning in the trailer hides that fact), with Noam Murro (“Smart People“) taking his place; we’ll see if he can bring the same success to Miller’s vision when the film opens March 7th. [JoBlo/Hey U Guys]
