If you thought that high-concept, big budget studio movies would peter out when the summer ends, you are very, very wrong. With “The Creator,” debuting exclusively in theaters on Sept. 29, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” star Gareth Edwards unleashes a bold, original vision of the future. And you can watch the new trailer above.
In “The Creator,” John David Washington plays Joshua, who is a freedom fighter in a future primarily defined by a conflict between humanity and artificial intelligence. The titular Creator is who is responsible for the AI, who has also developed a war-ending super-weapon in the form of a small child. Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson (taking over a role originally earmarked for Danny McBride), Allison Janney and Ralph Ineson co-star.
Several of Edwards’ “Rogue One” collaborators return for “The Creator,” including co-writer Chris Weitz, producer Kiri Hart, cinematographer Greig Fraser (who shares duties with Oren Soffer) and visual effects house Industrial Light & Magic (doing genuinely eye-popping work).
What’s so striking about this most recent trailer is how many images are borrowed from initial versions of “Rogue One” – Washington and his compatriots running through an underground train station, characters walking up from a beach – these were moments ultimately jettisoned from “Rogue One” but appeared in early marketing materials. Maybe Edwards is able to actualize some of those ideas that he tried so hard to bring to the screen the last time around. (“Rogue One” went on to inspire the Emmy-nominated Disney+ series “Andor.”)
The idea of a malevolent AI wreaking havoc in an uncertain future is certainly a popular one, as it has been explored in Peacock’s excellent “Mrs. Davis” earlier this year and is a key plot point in “Mission: Impossible, Dead Reckoning – Part One,” in theaters now. Clearly people (and in particular filmmakers) are feeling a lot of anxiety about this issue, as it has become a key point in both the SAG and WGA strikes currently impacting Hollywood.
“The Creator” opens in theaters Sept. 29.
