By J.S. Lewis
Update: Hugo Weaving (The Matrix) is revealed to be a very evil character in a new trailer for Mortal Engines. He stars as a ruthless leader who wields far too much power for his own good, or for the benefit of anyone else, as heroic assassin Hera Hilmar and lower-class historian Robert Sheehan quickly discover to their dismay.
We’ve gathered all we know about the movie below, but right now, just sit back and let the amazing spectacle of Mortal Engines wash over you (again).
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(Read our previous post below.)
Universal Pictures has pulled back the curtains on Mortal Engines, a steampunk fantasy film presented by Peter Jackson. Jackson is also responsible for the film’s adapted screenplay alongside writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, the trio behind The Lord of the Rings. For some filmgoers that will be enough to go on, but let’s check out the trailer and see why this “epic new saga” is worthy of our attention.
Watch it below:
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What’s the movie about?
Based on the Philip Reeve’s series of the same name, Mortal Engines has one of the craziest concepts I’ve heard of in some time. Here’s the official synopsis: “Many years after the ‘Sixty Minute War,’ cities survive a now desolate Earth by moving around on giant wheels attacking and devouring smaller towns to replenish their resources.”
Yeah, you read that right. Metropolises are driving around the post-apoc neighborhood gobbling up villages! The trailer showcases this insane feat and has already led some to describe it as Howl’s Moving Castle meets Mad Max: Fury Road. Um, yes please! It also reminds me of Snowpiercer, a story wherein the survivors of a climate-change experiment are all passengers on a train that travels around the frozen world. Big ideas can be realized on the big screen with the right team. If this trailer is any indication, this is the right team.
Who’s in the movie?
Icelandic actress Hera Hilmar (pictured above) is front and center in the teaser. She plays Hester Shaw, a resident of a small mining town called Salthook. You may have seen Hilmar in Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina or the TV series Da Vinci’s Demons. A starring role in Mortal Engines could be just the trick to catapult her career to new heights.
While not featured in the trailer, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Lang, Robert Sheehan and JiHAE co-star.
Who’s directing?
Christian Rivers. He is a fellow Kiwi and longtime collaborator with Peter Jackson. Rivers has storyboarded all of Jackson’s live-action films since Dead Alive, including both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Additionally, he has worked on the visual effects for many of Jackson’s films. Mortal Engines is River’s feature-length directorial debut. His unique background has undoubtedly prepared him for imagining a sci-fi fantasy film of this magnitude.
When does it come out?
Mortal Engines rolls into theaters on December 14, 2018.
