Scarlett Johansson on a superhuman high in new ‘Lucy’ trailer
These days it’s getting dangerous to cross paths with Scarlett Johansson on the big screen, lest one be pummeled by her Black Widow in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier†or caught in her alien clutches in “Under the Skin.â€
The latest hapless individuals to learn that lesson the hard way are the bad guys in the new Luc Besson thriller, “Lucy,†opening Aug. 8 from Universal Pictures.
The first trailer for the film, which you can watch above, sets up the premise: Johansson plays a woman who wakes up groggy after a night of revelry in Taipei and finds herself an unwitting drug mule with a stash surgically implanted in her abdomen.
When the package ruptures and she accidentally ingests some of the substance, she finds herself blessed with superhuman abilities as the chemicals unlock unused parts of her brain — and that spells trouble for her would-be captors.
GRAPHIC: Faces to watch 2014 | Entertainment
“It is estimated most human beings only use 10% of the brain’s capacity,†says Morgan Freeman’s professor character in one scene. “Imagine if we could access 100%. Interesting things begin to happen.â€
Apparently, said interesting things involve smiting henchmen with super strength, processing volumes of data lickety-split, altering her perception of time, changing her appearance at will and moving objects with her mind.
“I’m not even sure that mankind is ready for it,†Freeman says.
Johansson, 29, has been keeping an impressively busy schedule of late. After starring in the Oscar-winning techno-romance “Her,†she’s set to appear in “Winter Solider†and “Under the Skin,†both of which open Friday; the John Favreau food-truck comedy “Chef,†which opens in May; and “Lucy†in August. She’ll begin filming “The Avengers: Age of Ultron†soon as well.
All that, and without the aid of any superpower-inducing substances.
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