We love trailers here at The Comeback and try to cover the best of them, big and small, in our coverage during any given week. But we can’t always get to all of them, which is why pooling them together in a one-stop shop for movie and TV anticipation seemed like a fun thing to do.
The past week in trailers provided a long-awaited look at Marvel’s Black Panther. (Ideally, that probably would have run this upcoming week, but Disney wanted the showcase of the NBA Finals for the trailer, and it was very possible the Golden State Warriors were going to end the series Friday night.) There’s also a new Tom Cruise movie that might help everyone forget The Mummy quickly. And with the huge success of Wonder Woman, an upcoming film will look at the character’s creator.
Here are the best trailers from the past seven days.
American Made – Sept. 29
Tom Cruise is taking a beating for The Mummy for a variety of reasons. Obviously, there’s the quality of the movie itself, along with Cruise taking what looks like a total paycheck gig. But with American Made, Cruise might be reminding us that he’s still a good actor, and not just an action star who’s still performing his own stunts well into his 50s. In a true-life story about a pilot smuggling drugs for Colombian drug cartels and guns for the CIA, Cruise gets to use everything in his acting arsenal — notably the charm and cockiness that have made him such an appealing star for four decades. But Cruise’s character may not come out as a winner in this one.
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women – TBD
Wonder Woman is the sensation sweeping the nation right now at the movies. But the mythology of the Amazon princess had to start somewhere, and the man who created Wonder Woman is a fascinating character in his own right.
William Moulton Marston was a Harvard psychologist who created the lie detector (the real-life version of Wonder Woman’s lasso of truth) with the help of his wife Elizabeth. But Marston also had a mistress who lived with the couple and helped raise their children. This trailer is every bit a teaser, with no footage from the film, though there are some audio clips. Luke Evans plays Marston, with Rebecca Hall as Elizabeth and Bella Heathcole as Olive Byrne, the third prong of their fidget spinner. Connie Britton is also in the film, though her role (A lawyer? A psychologist?) is as yet unknown.
The Silent Man – TBD
Up until 2005, the biggest mystery surrounding the Watergate scandal involving President Richard Nixon was the identity of “Deep Throat,” the primary source for Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. But his identity was revealed as FBI agent Mark Felt when his lawyer released an article to Vanity Fair, and Woodward and Bernstein confirmed that Felt was Deep Throat shortly thereafter. Felt died three years later. The Silent Man covers the original story, with Liam Neeson portraying Felt. As the trailer demonstrates, he was close to the goings-on in the White House and in an ideal position to be an informant. The movie is directed by Peter Landesman, who most recently made Concussion with Will Smith.
Spider-Man: Homecoming – July 7
We’re getting to that point where we really don’t need to see anything more from Spider-Man: Homecoming, and any new footage included in ads and trailers risks spoiling the experience for viewers. But this new international trailer does provide a cool look at the briefcase set-up for Spider-Man’s new enhanced suit, courtesy of Tony Stark. As could be expected, there’s quite a bit of Iron Man in that suit, which may not thrill Spider-Man purists, but might be amusing to Marvel movie fans. We also get a first-person perspective on Spider-Man’s role in the Civil War tarmac battle, which has been seen elsewhere.
As fun as it’s been to also see Spidey fetch crackers for Tim Duncan and bump into DJ Khaled at a bodega in those NBA Finals ads, we’re just ready to see this movie now.
Seven Sisters – TBD
The Earth might already be overpopulated. (Doesn’t it seem like too many people are having kids?) But in Seven Sisters, the world’s governments have decided to take drastic measures to control global populations in the year 2073. Families are only allowed to have one child. No one has siblings. But when one man’s daughter gives birth to seven twins, he keeps the existence of those seven granddaughters a secret from the government. Each of the sisters (played by Noomi Rapace) grows up and is able to experience the outside world under the shared identity of Karen Settman. But one of the daughters disappears during her weekly excursion. Was she captured? Did she decide to run? Seven Sisters will debut on Netflix, presumably sometime this year, after playing in international markets.
Black Panther – Feb. 16, 2018
Saving the best for last? Black Panther was certainly the biggest trailer debut during the past week. A first trailer for any Marvel movie is a big deal, but might be even bigger for this one, since it features the first black superhero, a prominently black cast, and is directed by a highly acclaimed filmmaker in Ryan Coogler (Creed). Black Panther already had a breakout debut in Captain America: Civil War — with Chadwick Boseman (42) joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as T’Challa, prince and soon-to-be king of Wakanda — priming anticipation for his standalone film.
With this first trailer, Coogler promises to give fans and moviegoers something not previously seen in the MCU. Run the Jewels’ “Legend Has It” playing over the visuals makes it feel even more special. (And we love Michael B. Jordan’s hair, which makes him look like he’s ready to start a Prince and the Revolution cover band.)
