The Josh Boone directed film that seems to be trying to infuse the much-popular genre of horror with the superhero genre has had a troubled journey so far. The release date has been pushed back too many times to count, the first trailer released all the way back in 2018 and was met with more negative than positive reactions.
There was controversy with the apparent whitewashing of the cast, reports emerged that the film would go straight to a streaming website and the worst for any film ever- which it was going to be shelved forever.
When the mere existence of the film had escaped the collective consciousness of most of the internet and the general movie-watching public, a brand new trailer has emerged, reigniting interest in the doomed venture.
The trailer seems to be a complete re-skin of the movie with major creative simplifications pointing to the studio allowing the filmmakers to really tap into the horror-vibe of the story, promising a new type of film for the superhero genre.
Reshoots confirmed
The trailer that released way-back-when in 2018, intrigued the people who saw it but more attention was paid towards the unfinished and confusing nature of the movie. The horror elements seemed solid along with a competent cast of well-known young actors with the like of Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Ross Heaton and Alice Braga all playing the inhabitants of the mental institution this X-Men story takes place in.
The story seems to be dealing with different themes than its predecessors that function in the realm of world-ending scenarios, city-razing destruction, and showdowns between ultra-powered individuals duking it out in a flurry of poorly rendered CGI.
Instead, taking the more artistic and self-reflective route, the film is shaping up to be a meditation on the negative side of having superpowers in a world where that is equated to having serious mental issues. It has a unique bend that might work its magic upon its release.
Fans onboard again
Reshoots are often a tell-tale sign that the artistic venture is in peril, however, this cannot be considered a hard and fast rule. 2016's Warner Bros produced 'Suicide Squad', that was very much a part of the DCEU experiment is the most recent film that comes to mind to have gone through reshoots to have a wide release and be savaged by critics.
The audience reaction of these films that go through extensive reshoots is often poor as well, however, there are few exceptions to the rule like 2012's 'Avengers', produced by Disney. Sometimes, reshoots can serve their purpose of making a good project better and this seems to be one of those times.
The film seems to stick to its horror roots and doubling down on the claustrophobic aspects of the take while justifying the delays thus far and its right to for wide release as a tent-pole studio lead franchise film.
Box office expectations
Comments on the trailers of movies are seldom a metric through which the financial performance of any film can be judged, which means that the box office for the film is not guaranteed upon its release.
Audiences today rely heavily on reviews, buzz, and word-of-mouth before opting to pay for watching a movie on the big screen which means that the film has to score big with critics for all its less-than-normal journey so far to be swept under the rug.
This is especially important during a time when the brand of the 20th Century Fox superhero movies are as low as they were back in 2009 after the botched release of the Hugh Jackman starring 'The Wolverine'. The film has to dazzle the audience with something wholly new and original for it to make a mark, which will have a chance to do after its release on August 2.
