20th Century Fox is in strange predicament. Because of their contract with Marvel, they must continuously produce new X-Men films to retain the license, which explains why X-Men: Apocalypse, Deadpool, and Logan all debuted shortly after one another. The latest addition to Fox’s Marvel universe is The New Mutants, a comic originally created in the ’80s by legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod.
Co-written and directed by Josh Boone, the man behind The Fault in Our Stars, The New Mutants follows five young people as they grapple with their nascent abilities while attempting to escape from a shadowy facility (an asylum of sorts). Ever since Deadpool, Fox has made it a point to the push the envelope with their superhero films and television shows (Legion deserves heaps of praise). If Deadpool was an R-rated parody of the superhero genre and Logan was a Western-infused character study, The New Mutants trailer boasts a terrifying exploration of trauma and inner demons.
Boone has proven himself capable of directing realistic depictions of teenagers, so he was a logical candidate for the film. However, it’s unclear how Boone will handle the film’s more disturbing aspects, as the trailer features unsettling masks, faces and hands jutting from walls, and jump scares galore.
In fact, The New Mutants doesn’t feel like a superhero movie at all – and that’s the most exciting thing about it! It has more in common with Jacob’s Ladder and Split (which also stars Anya Taylor-Joy) in that Boone’s bold vision explores insanity, captivity, and the alienation of mutanthood. Boone’s dabbling with darkness doesn’t end here, however, because he’s in talks of directing few Stephen King novels as well: Lisey’s Story, The Stand, and King’s collaboration with Peter Straub, The Talisman.
The New Mutants hits theaters on April 13, 2018.
Watch the trailer below:
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