Super Bowl trailers of 2024 aired…How do they look?
By Kendrick Sims on February 16, 2024
As the Super Bowl has come and gone this past Sunday, so too has arrived a plethora of high quality commercials and (probably a Hollywood studio’s favourite time of year) the launch of new trailers for upcoming and most-anticipated blockbusters for the year. With them still being discussed now and onward for over the week, here’s a little look-in on the trailers we got, how they looked…and what probably could have also been neat to see as well…
Among the films with a full trailer, we got:
Probably the most anticipated trailer, as to be expected from Marvel, the upcoming third film featuring the “Merc with the Mouth” played once again by Ryan Reynolds finally made its debut to over 365 million views. As an official crossover to the MCU from Marvel’s X-Men films featured under 20th Century Fox before being bought by Disney, Deadpool and Wolverine have much riding on it. Some hope that it will be the official reveal of the X-Men for future films ( though, technically the 2nd following last year’s The Marvels…) with others hoping that it might be the film to revitalize the MCU which has been struggling in its post-Endgame era. But probably for many it’s the return of Hugh Jackman donning the adamantium claws (and yellow spandex) of Wolverine after previously retiring from the role in 2018’s Logan that has fans most excited. While only receiving a taste of what to expect with this trailer, Deadpool has always delivered a healthy balance of anarchic fun, action and drama not often seen in comic-films before, so with the variety of the MCU available for him to play with there’s much to look forward to with its release in July.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
With the Planet of the Apes franchise given a new life with 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and concluded satisfyingly with 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, a continuation is not entirely unexpected, but rather curious as to where they could go. With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, we now follow Noa (played by Owen Teague), a possible descendant of Andy Serkis’ Caesar in a world 300 years since War…, and Apes are now the dominant species marking their place. With a common “enemy” of humans no longer the threat, Ape society now turns on each other for control as Noa faces the wrath of cult-leader Proximus Caesar and his army of technologically inclined gorilla soldiers. With a taste of this new world teased back in January, more has been revealed with this trailer along with more promise that the franchise can indeed continue to evolve.
A long-in-development reboot to the disaster-film hit from 1996, Twisters boasts impressive visual effects with not one but two tornadoes now terrorising the countryside…but almost on par with effects from the original and none of the original likeable characters. While the idea of upping the stakes with the double threat, in addition to implementing what modern weather phenomenon can theoretically contribute to it, has promise on a visual level the movie still has an air of standard disaster movie fare. While it is early to say how much of an impact it will have this summer until its official release in July, the movie may have a lot to live up to beyond just the effects.
Based on the blockbuster musical of the same name set in the world of Frank L. Baum’s Oz reimagined by Gregory Maguire, part one of a new take on the legend of the Wizard of Oz, with music by legendary composer Stephen Schwartz, is due to arrive in theatres in November of this year. And immediate reaction has been mixed at best. Directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Cynthia Erivo as the titular Wicked Witch of the West, alongside Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum, the film certainly boasts a new version of Oz previously unseen before. With Cynthia Erivo and Grande’s strong singing abilities, the musical elements will definitely hold up. How the stage translation to screen will hold up, is another story. With some fans concerned that it boasts too much of a music video look, as seen from Chu’s previous directorial work, there is some fear that it will lose some of the theatricality of the original show. But on the other hand, what better way to showcase a musical than a style of filmmaking built around music? We still have at least 10 months to consider…
Image by Kendrick Sims
Was there anything else?
We were given the opportunity to see more surrounding Pixar and Dreamworks’ upcoming sequels Inside Out 2 and Kung Fu Panda 4 respectively. While KFP4 has had the benefit of a trailer in December showcasing its story, Inside Out 2 has continued to be vague as to what exactly audiences can expect. Promising the characters to be dealing with the release of more emotions, the only one to be revealed so far has been Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke). While Pixar has yet to deliver a true bomb, the turnout for their films since the pandemic have not brought in the profits they originally used to. With a highly relatable concept with the sequel, it is currently unknown if Inside Out 2 will be able to deliver as its predecessor.
What would have been nice to see as well
Probably the most surprising to see no clip or announcement for among are the anticipated sequels due out this fall/Christmas including Gladiator 2, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Joker: Folie á Deux.
While these films have completed production, with only a few teasing images available, audiences will not be receiving a taste of these films for a bit longer, at least until more likely announced at San Diego Comic-Con. While a sequel to Gladiator and Beetlejuice certainly warrant curiosity, the much awaited sequel to Joker pales in comparison. With Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role with Lady Gaga debuting as a new form of Harley Quinn, in a film promising to be a musical, any tease would be welcome.
In conclusion?
With trailers it is never entirely a sure thing as to what you’re going to get in the final product. Sometimes what looks horrible, can surprise you. What looks amazing, can turn out to be underwhelming. And sometimes if the shoe fits, it’s clear from the get go…but not until actual release But if the Super Bowl trailers have proven anything, there’s no better way to get your advertisement out there more efficiently. Now, for the rest…we wait for Comic-Con…