Universal Pictures has released a trailer for their upcoming sci-fi film based on the popular fantasy book series Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. The film bears the same name as the book series and has been in the works for several years. The feature boasts a screenplay by the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings writing team of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, but it’s Christian Rivers who’s in the director’s chair.
The latest trailer for Mortal Engines shows us exactly what in store for the post-apocalyptic adventure. Taking place thousands of years after the “Sixty Minute War” and its geological upheavals, the planet has recovered but humankind still roams the earth on giant mobile cities, with London being the largest. These towns prey on weaker towns for power and resources in what they call “Municipal Darwinism.”
Visually, this trailer is pretty great and it makes immediately apparent how visually unique Mortal Engines promises to be. From the novel’s inherent steampunk DNA to all those engines and airships. The setting almost entirely consists of digital visual effects.
Jackson has been developing this book series into a film since 2008. He wrote the screenplay with his Tolkien franchise buddies, Walsh and Boyens, while Rivers, Jackson’s longtime storyboard artist, makes his feature film directorial debut on Mortal Engines.
The film stars Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Jihae, Leila George, Ronan Raftery, Colin Salmon, Patrick Malahide, Regé-Jean Page, and Stephen Lang.
Mortal Engines opens in theaters on December 14th.
Source: Universal Pictures
