Trailer Trash Feature: 14th – 27th April

(Bi-weekly feature written for Lost In The Multiplex)

We have a number of brilliant first trailers this week, including a couple from Jason Segel’s latest comedies, John Hilcoat’s western drama Lawless, the full trailer for David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis and also a few more light-hearted films that give a great mix up of what can expect to see in cinemas over the next few months.

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Lawless

First is the first trailer for John Hillcoat‘s gangster drama Lawless which stars Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Jason Clarke as three brothers. Formerly known as The Wettest County, the film is an adaptation of the 2008 historical novel The Wettest County in the World written by Matt Bondurant. With screenplay by Nick Cave, the film follows these three brothers who find their bootlegging business under threat in a Prohibition-era Franklin County, Virginia. The new trailer has a great western feel to it and all three brothers look incredible in their roles. Also starring Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman, Mia Wasikowska, Guy Pearce, Noah Taylor and Dane DeHaan, Lawless is set to be released on 31st August.

Five Year Engagement

The new red-band trailer for rom-rom for Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel’s Five Year Engagement looks pretty comical. Set to be released on 22nd June, Segel stars alongside Emily Blunt as an engaged couple who plan to soon get married, but unexpected events keep tripping them up as they look to walk down the aisle together. The couple seems to have good chemistry together from the trailer so this looks like we could be in for another excellent film from Segel.

This Is 40

Another comedy to look forward to is Judd Apatow’s ‘sort of’ sequel to Knocked Up, This Is 40, which sees Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) reprise their roles from the original film to take the leads. Picking up with the family a few years later, Pete’s music label is struggling and Debbie’s vanity business, a dress shop staffed by Desi (Megan Fox) and Jodi (Charlyne Yi), needs to help cover the household budget. Set to be released on 21st December, This Is 40 also stars Jason Segel in a brief cameo, Chris O’Dowd, Melissa McCarthy, John Lithgow, Lena Durham, Annie Mumolo, and Albert Brooks as Pete’s father. A great cast for another of Segel’s films and some hilarious scenes to be seen from the trailer alone.

Cosmopolis

If you were blown away from the 30 minute teaser that we poster for David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis last month then you will be happy to see the first full trailer now. Based on Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name, the film follows a millionaire, Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson), on a trek across Manhattan to get a haircut. At least that’s all you can get from the film’s trailer as from then on it just gets a bit weird. That’s because, on his journey, Eric devolves into an odyssey with a cast of characters that start to tear his world apart, which is followed up with the tag line “How far can he go before he goes too far?” It certainly looks as if his mind will go to the furthest of places, but it’s this surrealistic nature that makes this film look so darn good. Also starring Samantha Morton, Kevin Durand and Jay Baruchel, the film is set to be released sometime this year.

Your Sister’s Sister

Another first trailer, debuted by IFC Films, is for director Lynn Shelton’s Your Sister’s Sister which stars Mark Duplass, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Emily Blunt. Struggling to overcome the death of his brother, Jack (Duplass) is sent to a remote cabin by his best friend Iris (Blunt). Upon arriving, he runs into Hannah (DeWitt), Iris’ half-sister, and the two drown their respective sorrows over a bottle of tequila and a drunken tryst. When Iris arrives unexpectedly the next day, however, they must act as though nothing happened. Set to be released on 29th June, the new trailer highlights the heart-felt and extremely honest look at relationships that the film explores and I definitely think it’s one to see.

Magic Mike

Warner Bros. Pictures have also released the first official trailer for director Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike, which stars Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, and Matthew McConaughey. Centring on a cocky nonentity (Pettyfer), after finding a job at risqué club Xquisite, he is taken under the wing of a more experienced colleague (Tatum) and taught the art of stripping. Sounds interested, and it also, surprisingly, looks interesting. Set to be released on 13th July, the film looks like a weird combination of romance and stripping, and coming from a male perspective I really don’t know how it is going to work. Still, I’m intrigued.

Hick

We also have the red band trailer for Derick Martini’s Hick which, based on the novel of the same name written by Andrea Portes, stars Chloe Moretz as a Nebraska teen who gets more than she bargained for when she sets out for the bright lights of Las Vegas. Also starring Eddie Redmayne and Blake Lively as two of the people she meets on her journey, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and is set to be released in the US on 11th May, but it has no UK release date as of yet.

LOL

A new trailer that you may not be as excited for is for by Lisa Azuelos’ LOL which stars Miley Cyrus Ashley Greene, and Demi Moore. Lola (Cyrus) and her friends navigate the peer pressures of high school romance and friendship while dodging their sometimes overbearing and confused parents in a world dominated by social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Set to be released on 1st June, this latest trailer doesn’t look completely awful, as the film is a coming-of-age story that fits quite well into today’s society. Unfortunately that doesn’t mean it’s going to be any good either.

Brave

And finally we have the third trailer for Pixar’s upcoming 3D fantasy adventure Brave which shows quite a lot of new footage. The film follows the epic battles of Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) in ancient Scotland who, determined to make her own path in life, defies an age-old custom against her parents King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), Merida is granted one wish by an eccentric old Wise Woman (Julie Walters), and must rely on her archery skills to undo a beastly curse, forcing her to discover the meaning of true bravery. Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapma, Brave is set to be released on 22nd June and it looks like it’s going to be a great and unique princess tale for Pixar.