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[torre_avenue]

Per EW.

Directed and adapted by Ex Machina filmmaker Alex Garland, Annihilation stars Natalie Portman as a biologist who joins an expedition to a mysterious site known as Area X, while also seeking answers about the disappearance of her husband (Oscar Isaac). The cast also includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, and Gina Rodriguez.

Now, this has me super worried.

The first reason being, the studio have been screening this movie for some time, at least in New York. The first email I have about this being screened dates back to March of this year. So, this has been in the works for a long time. The movie itself was done around August of last year, so maybe it's taken this long because of post-production but the fact they've dated it in February, a period not exactly known for its prime real estate. The past couple of years have shown that movies can do well in this period if they get great acclaim (John Wick 2, Get Out, and more), but I'm worried about this film. Hopefully, Garland and Paramount beat my expectations but I won't be shocked if around February next year we get a scoop detailing turmoil behind the film.

EDIT: TRAILER #1.

 

[Imperial Bishop]

Fuck. I thought this was Marvel related.

 

[lightskintwin]

Per EW.

Now, this has me super worried.

The first reason being, the studio have been screening this movie for some time, at least in New York. The first email I have about this being screened dates back to March of this year. So, this has been in the works for a long time. The movie itself was done around August of last year, so maybe it's taken this long because of post-production but the fact they've dated it in February, a period not exactly known for its prime real estate. The past couple of years have shown that movies can do well in this period if they get great acclaim (John Wick 2, Get Out, and more), but I'm worried about this film. Hopefully, Garland and Paramount beat my expectations but I won't be shocked if around February next year we get a scoop detailing turmoil behind the film.

Unless you've heard anything negative behind the scenes, I wouldn't be worried . It just sounds like them pushing it back to early next year so it doesn't get lost in the fall and the film has a better opportunity to get noticed.

 

[Daingurse]

Fuck. I thought this was Marvel related.

Haha, same here.

 

[Vazduh]

Liked the book, but I'm curious about ~certain aspects~ and how those were brought to life. Can't wait for the movie!

 

[Fury451]

Ex Machina was amazing- more team up with the director/Oscar Isaac is good

 

[Duane Cunningham]

Arrrgh. Why you do dis.

 

[torre_avenue]

Unless you've heard anything negative behind the scenes, I wouldn't be worried . It just sounds like them pushing it back to early next year so it doesn't get lost in the fall and the film has a better opportunity to get noticed.

For all I know, post-production was delayed and that's why it's taken a year to come out. But, considering the subject matter, I can easily imagine Paramount wanting something more big-screen blockbuster and getting a more artsy harder to market film. February, in the case, should be good because R-rated films do relatively better in that period. I just hope Garland pulls it off.

 

[schadenfood]

I loved Ex Machina and hope for the best but the book was really, really weird and I'm really skeptical about how they translate everything visually.

Would love to hear about how it's changed since they started screening.

 

[Busty]

It could be interesting.

Surely it can't be as dull as GITS was.

 

[torre_avenue]

I loved Ex Machina and hope for the best but the book was really, really weird and I'm really skeptical about how they translate everything visually.

Would love to hear about how it's changed since they started screening.

I haven't been able to see the film because I couldn't make the screening times they had, but maybe someone here has.

The last time I got screening invites to a movie that had no set release date was a movie called "Tulip Fever" that still hasn't come out, iirc. I got invites to that beginning in late 2014, and that's only coming out this month.

 

[strafer]

 

[gforguava]

Most anticipated film of the foreseeable future, wish it would hurry its ass up and get in front of my eyes already.

 

[Messofanego]

February is a great time for this, amongst the studio dumping time it will stand out. Could do good business like John Wick and Get Out as mentioned in the OP.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Loved the book, although I heard the sequels were underwhelming. Anyone else read them?

 

[Wollan]

Been on my hype list for a while. Loved the book.

 

[Slayven]

February is a great time for this, amongst the studio dumping time it will stand out. Could do good business like John Wick and Get Out as mentioned in the OP.

Next Feb is Black Panther month, this i command. Even Pacific Rim got out of the way of the King

 

[HStallion]

If this is anything like the book I expect Portman to be wearing that expression the entire film and then the audience to walk out of the theaters with the same expression on their faces.

 

[Extra Sauce]

Is this going to be more Stalker or Jurassic Park?

 

[More_Badass]

For all I know, post-production was delayed and that's why it's taken a year to come out. But, considering the subject matter, I can easily imagine Paramount wanting something more big-screen blockbuster and getting a more artsy harder to market film. February, in the case, should be good because R-rated films do relatively better in that period. I just hope Garland pulls it off.

How would anyone greenlight an adaptation of Annihilation and expect something even close to a big screen blockbuster?

And it’s an Garland movie

 

[HStallion]

Is this going to be more Stalker or Jurassic Park?

STALKER by far though I doubt it reaches anywhere near the heights to that cinema classic.

 

[SomedayTheFire]

Love the book, the director and the cast. I'm hoping for the best.

 

[Messofanego]

Next Feb is Black Panther month, this i command. Even Pacific Rim got out of the way of the King

Oh damn, haha! Thought-provoking sci fi could work as counter programming to that, though.

 

[torre_avenue]

How would anyone greenlight an adaptation of Annihilation and expect something even close to a big screen blockbuster?

And it’s an Garland movie

Studio head logic, I presume.

 

[Massive Nights]

This book was genuinely one of the worst things I've ever read, questions upon questions, upon questions with absolutely zero payoff. I had no desire to read the others in the series. That being said I love Tessa Thompson and loved Ex Machina, so I'm kinda interested.

 

[kurahador]

So we got Maze Runner, Pacific Rim, Annihilation and Black Panther in the first 2 months.
Guess Jan and Feb stops being the dumping ground.

 

[fredrancour]

What a roller coaster this thread was.

Annihilation movie?!
Oh wait no way it's cosmic marvel.
Oh snap vandermeer!

Better finish the trilogy before the film comes out.

 

[HStallion]

Oh damn, haha! Thought-provoking sci fi could work as counter programming to that, though.

I expect the movie to be rather divisive if its at all like the book especially if trailers try to sell it as something it isnt.

Spoiler

Like a story that answers any of the multitude of questions it poses

 

[Dabanton]

This movie gets amazingly trippy and weird...

That massive croc is probably the most normal part haha.

I can’t wait to see a complete cut.

 

[Slayven]

I expect the movie to be rather divisive if its at all like the book especially if trailers try to sell it as something it isnt.

Spoiler

Like a story that answers any of the multitude of questions it poses

I hate scifi stories like that.

 

[hendersonhank]

It's apparently very different from the books and was written as a standalone film. Vandermeer said:

“The first thing I realized is that even though Alex Garland says he’s not an auteur, he is an auteur,” the author says. “So my expectation was to not have anything to do with the movie and that’s the actual fact. He wrote the script and he was kind enough to keep me in the loop during every part of the process, but that wasn’t for me to put my two cents in, basically. It was just so I would know what was going on.”

“It’s actually more surreal than the novel. There are a couple places where I was like, ‘I might need an anchor here.’ The ending is so mind-blowing and in some ways different from the book that it seems to be the kind of ending that, like 2001 or something like that, people will be talking about around the watercooler for years… Visually, it’s amazing. I must say that and that’s all I probably should say.”

 

[captjohnboyd]

This movie gets amazingly trippy and weird...

That massive croc is probably the most normal part haha.

I can’t wait to see a complete cut.

Did you see a test screening? I've read the whole trilogy and have been dying for this to come out. Let's hear more about it! Spoiler tagged of course

 

[Hurricane_Chris]

Heard the hubub around the book, tried it, couldn't get more than 20% in.

The movie not being like the book could be an improvement -- for me, at least.

Question to fans of the book: Is the book really sci-fi or is it more science-fantasy? There were so many "weird" scenes but, as far as I could tell, it was more fantasy than anything. I also got the impressing that the first book and the sequels were never going to give satisfying answers.

 

[gabbo]

What a roller coaster this thread was.

Annihilation movie?!
Oh wait no way it's cosmic marvel.
Oh snap vandermeer!

Better finish the trilogy before the film comes out.

I best start the trilogy now. Friends have been raving about it and his other works are... weird but enthralling

 

[selfnoise]

It's apparently very different from the books and was written as a standalone film. Vandermeer said:

This was encouraging to read. I loved the books but the first one is by far the most cinematically friendly.

I'm not wild about the casting, partially because Natalie Portman's character is meant to be Asian in the books. But I guess we'll see.

 

[Dabanton]

Did you see a test screening? I've read the whole trilogy and have been dying for this to come out. Let's hear more about it! Spoiler tagged of course

I did some work on it over a couple of months.

I’ll say it looks good, very engaging and isn’t ‘easy’ sci fi. The female leads are interesting and the imagery I’ve seen is haunting.

I’m still under NDA, so I’ll leave it at light impressions

 

[torre_avenue]

I did some work on it over a couple of months.

I’ll say it looks good, very engaging and isn’t ‘easy’ sci fi. The female leads are interesting and the imagery I’ve seen is haunting.

I’m still under NDA, so I’ll leave it at light impressions

Damn, Paramount really let Alex Garland do his sci-fi thing with a bigger budget.

This is getting exciting.

 

[selfnoise]

Actually, having thought about it, you could make a good movie out of cutting elements of Annihilation and Acceptance together and largely leaving the middle book out. But I'm interested to see what Garland came up with.

 

[TrumanBurbank]

Instead of Natalie Portman I wish it was Emily Blunt.

Love me some Emily Blunt. Portman has the same look on her face all the time. Her best role was Leon.

 

[kai3345]

Got halfway through the book and never finished it. Should give it a re-read

 

[Atrophis]

Heard the hubub around the book, tried it, couldn't get more than 20% in.

The movie not being like the book could be an improvement -- for me, at least.

Question to fans of the book: Is the book really sci-fi or is it more science-fantasy? There were so many "weird" scenes but, as far as I could tell, it was more fantasy than anything. I also got the impressing that the first book and the sequels were never going to give satisfying answers.

It's Lovecraftian horror more than anything else.

 

[RDreamer]

Loved the book, and I love Garland's work. Really curious to see how he does it because that book felt almost unfilmable. It's kind of interesting he's taking it to a different place apparently. Might be the best choice. I trust him.

 

[Adam Sadler]

In Alex Garland I trust

 

[Demoncarnotaur]

I LOVED Ex Machina, so I'm all in.

That's some damn fine practical fx work - that soft tissue looks incredibly real.

 

[JasonUresti]

It's Lovecraftian horror more than anything else.

Don't say that, Vandermeer hates Lovecraft. Dude goes out of his way to throw digs at him.

 

[More_Badass]

Don't say that, Vandermeer hates Lovecraft. Dude goes out of his way to throw digs at him.

How about “Kafkaesque cosmic horror“?

And I pretty surprised to see how reminiscent Annihilation is of Stanislaw’s Eden

 

[Switch Back 9]

I LOVED the first book. The other two kinda sucked.

Not sure how it's going to translate into a film though. So basically, I'm just repeating what everyone else has already said.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

I read the first book on release and loved it. I still haven't read the other two or his newest book, Borne. I got into his work back when Veniss Underground came out. I'm excited for this movie.

 

[selfnoise]

It's really not Lovecraft. It's ecological SF mixed with body horror, if anything.

EDIT: upon reflection, there's a bit of Lovecraft in there, but not really the "malign interdimensional evil" part.

 

[bloodyroarxx]

I really disliked the book, I dont think this will do well.

I just dont think it its mainstream enough