The first full trailer for Mortal Engines, Peter Jackson’s latest epic world-building fantasy adaptation, appears to have everything Jackson fans want from their director. Not only will he be able to craft a terrific dystopian landscape, but Jackson gets to design a handful of rolling cities that look pretty cool.
Check it out:
Thousands of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, humankind has adapted and a new way of living has evolved. Gigantic moving cities now roam the Earth, ruthlessly preying upon smaller traction towns. Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan)—who hails from a Lower Tier of the great traction city of London—finds himself fighting for his own survival after he encounters the dangerous fugitive Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar). Two opposites, whose paths should never have crossed, forge an unlikely alliance that is destined to change the course of the future. Mortal Engines is the startling, new epic adventure directed by Oscar®-winning visual-effects artist Christian Rivers (King Kong).
Joining Rivers are The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies three-time Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who have penned the screenplay. The Universal and MRC adaptation is from the award-winning book series by Philip Reeve, published in 2001 by Scholastic. On board as producers are Zane Weiner (The Hobbit trilogy), Amanda Walker (The Hobbit trilogy) and Deborah Forte (Goosebumps), as well as Walsh and Jackson. Ken Kamins (The Hobbit trilogy) joins Boyens as executive producer. Universal will distribute the film worldwide.
Hopefully Jackson’s vision will pass muster with the fan culture who is showing that they are totally cool and not gatekeeping whatsoever on all intellectual properties. Fingers crossed that he placates everyone so as not to “ruin childhoods.”
Mortal Engines will hit theaters December 14