Natalie Portman plays a biologist who finds herself in a strange new world in the latest theatrical trailer for the sci-fi drama/thriller, Ex Machina.
Based on the novel of the same name written by Jeff VanderMeer and published in 2014, Annihilation tells the story of a scientific expedition to a mysterious environmental disaster zone that has been dubbed "The Shimmer". Led by a psychologist played by Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), the mission team also includes a surveyor, as well as a linguist, an anthropologist, and a biologist named Lena (Portman). However, this isn't the first time that a group of highly-qualified individuals have ventured into "The Shimmer" - a place where the laws of nature no longer apply - and it soon becomes clear to Lena just how dangerous this "disaster zone" really is.
Related: Annihilation Has a 'Mind-Blowing' Ending
Paramount Pictures has now released the second trailer for Annihilation online, with Portman's character and her drive to learn what happened to her husband (Annihilation teaser before it, both previews emphasize the movie's surreal visuals and horror/thriller aspects over everything else. For more on that, watch the new Annihilation trailer in the space above.
It was Lady Bird) refused to force Ellison's recommended changes on the film, Paramount decided to seek out a new international distributor over its concerns about Annihilation's box office prospects.
Both studio and producer concerns about Annihilation's commercial prospects are understandable, in a business sense. While Ex Machina was a critical darling, it was only a financial success because of its low production cost ($15 million) and had niche appeal at the global box office. Paramount did enjoy both critical and commercial success with Denis Villeneuve's similarly cerebral, mid-range budgeted, sci-fi offering Arrival two years ago, but that film was more the exception that proves the rule. Based on the trailers, Annihilation has a darker edge and hews closer to something like Andrei Tarkovsky's sci-fi mystery Solaris than Arrival anyway - and though that's intriguing news for cinephiles, it's probably not an encouraging comparison for anxious studio investors.
Garland also wrote the adapted script for Annihilation, in addition to calling the shots. ing Portman and Leigh in the cast are Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok), Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin), Tuva Novotny (Borg/McEnroe), David Gyasi (Interstellar), and Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange), as well as Ex Machina costar Sonoya Mizuno.
MORE: What is Annihilation Even About?
Source: Paramount Pictures
