Ranking The Great Trailer Showdown Of June 2018

Last week was a mammoth week for movie studios and the online film community. Trailer after trailer dropped, teasing and treating audiences to their first look at some of the biggest releases set to grace our cinema screens in the coming months. As soon as we recovered from one trailer, the next dropped almost immediately; it was like Christmas morning, but all week long and we’re actually in June (where we couldn’t be further from December).

But the risk of so many trailers dropping in the same week, all intending to ride on the coattails of the summer blockbusters approaching theatres in the forthcoming weeks, is that some inadvertently get lost in the shuffle. Let’s have a look at all the major debuts of the week and try to put them into some order, based on their impact, how they swirled excitement and, y’know, my own personal bias for good measure.

16. Operation Finale (Chris Weitz)

Released September 14th in the US, October 12th in the UK.

If any film got entirely buried under the chaos of the trailer showdown, it was Chris Weitz’s forthcoming historical drama, Operation Finale. While its early week debut date and slow-burning nature didn’t exactly help matters, its inability to conjure much in the way of excitement may not be a good sign for this Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley period release when it hits our screens in the Fall.

15. Mortal Engines (Christian Rivers)

Released on December 14th in most territories, including the US and UK.

Despite being co-written and produced by Peter Jackson, the master of this particular sub-genre, Christian Rivers‘ feature-length directorial debut has not revved off with the strongest of starts, staling as bigger titles leave it in their dust. Mortal Engines may be one of the higher-budgeted flicks teased in last week’s showdown but it failed to leave much of a mark. First impressions lead you to believe that it’s a rather generic fantasy flick tinged with sci-fi elements, one that evidently hopes to fill the gap left by Star Wars this coming December. We’ll see whether this engine warms up any; it’s got six months to try and get out of the gate.

14. A Star is Born (Bradley Cooper)

Released in the US and UK on October 4th.

Bradley Cooper‘s directorial debut, A Star is Born, is the third remake of Janet Gaynor and Fredric March’s 1937 original film, all of which have been (at least) nominated for an Academy Award or two. Unfortunately, the trailer indicates that there’s nothing new to add to the story. It plays out in a rather conventional manner, aiming for Oscars left, right and centre in a hardly inspiring manner – but it’s only when lead star Lady Gaga begins to sing, seconds before the close, that it really comes to life. A Star is Born has a lot riding on its shoulders and must justify its existence more so than a lot of these releases; this trailer doesn’t leave me hopeful.

13. Bumblebee (Travis Knight)

Released on December 21st in the US, December 26th in the UK.

The Transformers series spluttered out rather ungracefully in 2016 when The Last Knight disappointed critically (no surprise there) AND commercially, so that this, a last-ditch spin-off attempt, didn’t land smack-bang at the bottom of the list is… interesting. In all honesty, there’s some promise here: the 80’s theme adds a little charm, as does the presence of Hailee Steinfeld, and it hints at taking the series back to basics. It holds a lot back but it’s only intended to intrigue, and that it has. For the first time in this franchise’s history, I’m eagerly awaiting their next move.

12. Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (Rich Moore & Phil Johnston)

Released November 21st in the US, November 30th in the UK.

Ralph Breaks The Internet’s first trailer is a concern. The first thing it reminded me of? The Emoji Movie. Need I say more? First impressions are that it’s a self-congratulatory tour of Walt Disney’s money-making assets and even this two minute and twenty-five-second clip aired too much on the side of smug. A whole feature-length of it? Colour me worried.

Still, there’s no denying that it looks visually enticing and that the much-touted Disney Princess scene might be worth the ticket price alone – but being a Disney Animation simply isn’t enough to win audiences over; with a fair few animations in the trailer showdown, it’s surprising that they wind up at the bottom of that respective list.

11. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (Mike Mitchell & Trisha Gum)

Released on February 8th in most of the world.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part arrives in the middle of Chris Pratt‘s blow-out summer and his return to the Lego franchise will have fans excited for his next blockbuster adventure. It seems to provide more of the same really, and as someone who didn’t care enough to see the original, I cannot conjure too much excitement towards it. With eight months until release, and this labelled more of a teaser than a full-blown trailer, it has plenty of times to give us more than a string of set pieces and win new audience members round.

10. The Girl in the Spider Web (Fede Alvarez)

Released on November 9th in the US and UK.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web will give audiences their third version of Lisbeth Salander in ten years, with Claire Foy taking over from Rooney Mara as the darkly-inflicted computer hacker. Dropping two trailers – a domestic and international – this week, it received mixed reviews from audiences who appeared concerned about Foy’s accent and the overall tone of the reboot. It’s certainly thrilling in places and appears unapologetic in its intensity if a little trigger-happy with aspects of the plot. I’m intrigued without committing myself to it.

9. The Old Man & The Gun (David Lowery)

Released on 28th September in the US. International dates TBA.

Evoking a 70s throwback vibe, The Old Man & The Gun’s first trailer may not scream ‘exciting’ in the most ordinary sense of the word, but with Robert Redford and David Lowery on tap, it didn’t really need to. Like many of Fox Searchlight’s releases (such as The Shape of Water and Isle of Dogs), it dabbles more in adult fare and the tone and names in the trailer do a fine job in winning that audience round. It may not have too much appeal beyond that yet, but it’s got several months to work on that.

8. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Bob Persichetti & Peter Ramsey)

Released on December 14th in the US and UK.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse arriving with audiences just as Avengers: Infinity War was about to cross the $2 billion threshold is smart thinking – but the trailers make it clear that this iteration is providing something new to audiences. With some fantastic imagery and not too much in the way of plot (I’m presuming most of the content shown is taken from the film’s first and second acts exclusively), Into The Spider-Verse keeps its cards close while appropriately stirring excitement for those riding the superhero train through until December.

7. Serenity (Steven Knight)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbrOMrjhyvI

Released on October 19th in the US and UK.

A mystery-thriller with the dynamic pairing of Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey was just the ticket, with Serenity’s pulsating trailer suggesting thrills and suspense are in store this coming October. It unwinds in a scorching fashion, brilliantly-paced and with a pervading sense of mystery that will make this a much-watch for those who like their films riddled with secrets. It will have to be careful not to reveal too much more in the coming months, as this whets the appetite effectively enough.

6. How To Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World (Dean DeBlois)

Released February 1st in the UK, March 1st in the US.

Of all the animated offerings, How To The Train Your Dragon 3′s trailer stands out. Packed with exciting imagery and colourful visuals, it teases the narrative just enough while largely working to remind audiences what they loved most about the two prior instalments. It is oozing with emotion and charm and while the use of Ed Sheeran‘s Castle on the Hill brings back memories of the substandard Ferdinand, it’s safe to presume that, given this franchises’ track record, The Hidden Kingdom will be notably better.

5. Bad Times at the El Royale (Drew Goddard)

Released October 5th in the US, October 12th in the UK.

Judging by the trailer, Bad Times at the El Royale could well be a hoot. From the bold production design to the level of suspense imbued and displayed through, there’s plenty to pull audiences in with. Packed to the rafters with big-name stars (including Chris Hemsworth as you’ve never seen him before), El Royale provides one of the wackiest, most memorable trailers of the week, giving audiences a flavour of the ride they’re in for when the film drops in October.

4. Widows (Steve McQueen)

Released November 9th in the UK, November 16th in the US.

With arguably the splashiest ensemble cast of the bunch, Steve McQueen‘s Widows crafts a pulsating and suspenseful first trailer that aims for the head – and hits with vengeance. Viola Davis gives it her all which, matched with the intense and impactful score, as well as the prestige associated with McQueen’s name (which the trailer boasts from the off), suggesting that audiences are in for a treat when Widows makes it to cinemas in November.

3. First Man (Damien Chazelle)

Released on October 12th in the US and UK.

Audiences have come to expect at least one fantastic big science-fiction film (think Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Gravity, Interstellar and The Martian) in the same release window that First Man will take up when it lands in October. Combine that expectation with Best Director-winner Damien Chazelle (slowly making a name for himself after only three features to date, two of which were Best Picture nominated) and the pairing of Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy, and First Man is a recipe for success. The trailer works particularly well in documenting the journey to the moon landing without actually setting foot on it, meaning audiences have something to hold their breath for come October.

2. Suspiria (Luca Guadagnino)

Released November 2nd in the US, further dates TBA.

Suspiria is helmed by Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino, so it was always going to be a visual delight. Amazon Studios ensures their first promotional effort for the film capitalises on that, pairing it with a hypnotic and affecting score that enhances the brilliantly-curated atmosphere of the trailer superbly. Without a single word of dialogue, and not too much in the way of plot, Suspiria holds its cards close to its chest and the trailer benefits from that secrecy and ambiguity it is seeped in tremendously well. This will excite and have its audience poised in anticipation, just as it planned to do.

1. Halloween (David Gordon Green)

Released October 19th in the US and UK.

Rightly so, Halloween puts its central assets front and centre: villain Michael Myers and the return of Jamie Lee Curtis to a franchise it wastes no time in erasing. Stuffed with terror, it will please fans of the series hoping for a return to form, while providing more crowd-pleasing thrills for those new to Myers’ universe. Loaded too with striking imagery and that fear-inducing mask, Halloween begins its promotional campaign in spectacular fashion.

Well down, Halloween, you win the June Trailer Showdown.

Which was your favourite trailer of the week? Anything we missed?