Production on 20th Century Fox’s New Mutants might have only started three months ago, but the first trailer has arrived and it’s ruddy terrifying. When director Josh Boone promised a “full-fledged horror movie set within the X-Men universe”, I was kind of doubtful we’d get something genuinely unnerving, but boy was I wrong.
Featuring a cover version of Brick in the Wall via the Creepy Children’s Choir (not a real thing), New Mutants paints a grim and disturbing picture and a bold new direction for Fox’s expanded X-Men franchise. Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams gets her first tentpole movie role as Wolfsbane, and she’s joined by Anya Taylor-Joy (Split) as Majik, Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things) as Cannonball, Henry Zaga (XOXO) as Sunspot, Blu Hunt (The Originals) as Danielle Moonstar, and Alicia Braga (Lara Croft) as Dr Cecilia Reyes.
“This isn’t a hospital, it’s a haunted house!”
Earlier reports indicated that Professor X might make a cameo, but it remains unclear which incarnation they were hoping to feature. Patrick Stewart announced he was retiring from the role after Logan, Stewart has since gone back on those comments, but there’s been no official word of any inclusion of previous X-Men characters.
I have to say, in the post-Deadpool era, Fox is leading the way in trying different things out with their Marvel characters. Logan was a rousing and often heartbreaking success, and New Mutants looks set to carve out a whole new sub-genre in the comic-book adaptation world.
New Mutants arrives in cinemas April 13, 2018.
Held in a secret facility against their will, five new mutants have to battle the dangers of their powers, as well as the sins of their past. They aren’t out to save the world — they’re just trying to save themselves.