If you’ve been hoping for another Peter Jackson-helmed saga with the scope and epic nature of The Lord Of The Rings, but without hobbits, then you’ve got your wish… sort of. Universal has released the first trailer for Mortal Engines, the upcoming fantasy epic that boasts a screenplay from the writing team of Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.
However, Jackson is not the in the director’s chair. It’s Christian Rivers, who began his career as a storyboard artist on Jackson’s Braindead, before moving onto visual effects work and second unit directing on the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, the Hobbit films and the 2005 remake of King Kong, all of which were directed by Jackson. Mortal Engines is his directorial debut.
However, the trailer below hints at another epic world somewhat crafted by Jackson, although this is far different to Middle Earth. The film takes place in a future world where Earth’s cities now roam the globe on huge wheels, battling each other. Two heroes band together in an attempt to alter the course of the future.
It’s certainly an intriguing – and odd – premise, and seems to have taken plenty of influence from 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road in terms of vehicular onslaught. The film is based on the book of the same name by Philip Reeve, and has been in the works for some time.
The film stars Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Leila George and Hugo Weaving. Will it be the start of another smash-hit franchise, or a strange oddity of a film conjured up in some fever dream? We’ll find out when Mortal Engines opens in cinemas December 14, 2018.
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