Watch the surprise first trailer for the mysterious Cloverfield sequel
You have to hand it to J.J. Abrams and his mystery box. Late last night, Twitter lit up with reports of a strange new trailer for a movie titled 10 Cloverfield Lane, which was playing before screenings of 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. Today, Paramount put the trailer online for your obsessive analysis:
So what is 10 Cloverfield Lane, anyway? Details are scarce, but it seems to be the movie previously announced as Valencia, a thriller about a woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) being held in the bomb shelter of a man who claims the world outside has been destroyed (John Goodman). Before this trailer, the outside threat had been described as a "chemical attack" or "nuclear fallout" — but it's just as easy to imagine a version of this story where the outside threat is a Godzilla-esque monster attack, as in the original Cloverfield.
In a statement at Collider, J.J. Abrams offered a vague explanation for 10 Cloverfield Lane's connection to the original. "The idea came up a long time ago during production," he said. "We wanted to make it a blood relative of Cloverfield. The idea was developed over time. We wanted to hold back the title for as long as possible."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Of course, the original Cloverfield debuted with a similar splash in 2007, when a mysterious untitled trailer played before screenings of Transformers. We'll see if 10 Cloverfield Lane can equal the size of that smash hit — and we won't have to wait long, because it hits theaters on March 11.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
-
Trump talks pardoning Jan. 6 rioters, jailing rivals
Speed Read On NBC's "Meet the Press," the president-elect said he would pardon Capitol rioters and end constitutionally guaranteed "birthright" citizenship
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Syria's Assad flees to Russia as rebels take Damascus
Speed Read Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow after rebels' takeover ended his family's 54-year rule
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Could Russia's faltering economy end the war?
Today's Big Question Sanctions are taking a toll. So could an end to combat.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published