Watch a trio of blockbuster trailers: ‘Guardians,’ ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Transformers’
Nostalgia abounds in trailers for a trio of summer 2023 blockbusters — “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,†“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny†and “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.â€
The three trailers dropped nearly simultaneously Thursday, offering viewers glimpses of the upcoming offerings from the three massive franchises.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,’ due May 5
The latest “Guardians†film will arrive from Marvel Studios in May after a series of starts and stalls with the firing and re-hiring of its director. James Gunn was publicly blasted after old tweets were unearthed where he made jokes about rape, pedophilia, 9/11 and the Holocaust.
During his leave from Disney in 2018, Gunn went on to direct DC’s “Suicide Squad†and was recently named by Warner Bros. Discovery as co-chairman and chief executive officer of DC Studios.
In what may be his final contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Gunn’s “Vol. 3†picks up after the death of Gamora, played by Zoe Saldana, who was killed in “Avengers: End Game.†The “Guardians†team led by Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill must defend the universe against a new threat. Gunn has previously said the film is “incredibly emotional†and “more mature†than its two predecessors.
“We started making these movies for kids that were 10, 11 years old when they saw the first one, now they’re 20, 21 years old — the movie has grown up with them,†Gunn told Gamespot at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con.
The full trailer features a cover of the 2002 single “Do You Realize??†by the Flaming Lips, a somber track with an anguished hook: “Do you realize / That everyone you know someday will die?â€
‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,’ due June 30
The second of two trailers dropped Thursday by Disney, the fifth installment of “Indiana Jones†follows the famed archaeologist played by Harrison Ford on an adventure set in 1969, during the space race of the Cold War era.
Filmmaker James Mangold, who is directing the “Indiana Jones†chapter, previously told Empire that he looked to follow in the steps of directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, opening the film with a sequence that would “give the audience an adrenaline blast.â€
The trailer reveals bits of the much-anticipated scene where Harrison was “de-aged†in a flashback to 1944, when the archaeologist fought the Nazis, as he did in 1981‘s “Raiders of the Lost Ark.â€
To de-age the “Star Wars†actor, Mangold and his team replicated Indy’s iconic “Raiders†jacket and used software that matched “archived material†with newer footage. Ford, who is now 80, called the results “spooky.â€
During the trailer, we hear dramatic voice-over by John Rhys-Davies, a Welsh actor, who returns to play the fan-favorite character Sallah, an Egyptian excavator. The trailer also heavily features Helena, Jones’ goddaughter, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, showrunner of “Fleabag†and “Killing Eve.â€
‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,’ due June 9
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts | Official Teaser Trailer (2023 Movie)
The seventh film in the live-action film series based on the “Transformers†toy line, “Rise of the Beasts†tells the story of a military veteran, played by “In the Heights†actor Anthony Ramos, and a museum researcher, played by Dominique Fishback of “Judas and the Black Messiah,†who get caught up in the ongoing conflict between the Autobots and the Decepticons.
Set in Brooklyn in the 1990s, the film’s trailer pays homage to Brooklyn’s own Notorious B.I.G., with the late rapper’s vocals from his 1994 song “Juicy†anchoring the trailer.
“I’m blowin’ up like you thought I would,†Biggie raps as fiery CGI explosions, car chases and fight sequences flash across the screen.
Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage and MJ Rodriguez give fresh voices to the usual cast of robots that transform into vehicles.
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