Simultaneously debuting the latest Prometheus trailer to UK television viewers (and anyone with internet connection), during the first ad break of Channel Four’s primetime screening of hit drama Homeland – 20th Century Fox and director Ridley Scott cued their three minute pitch for maximum shocks.
Beautiful space shots set against thunderous music, a countdown, shots of “exploratory vessel” Prometheus hurtling towards LV-233, Charlize Theron in full ‘bitch’ mode as Weyland Industries rep Meredith Vickers, announcing to the ship’s crew that her job was “to make sure you do yours”, before flag waving the next “stage” of the trailer with the line, “OK then, on with the show.”
And we were off.
Quickly setting out the film’s stall – the search for humanity’s origin – via the archaeological discoveries, the “invitation” scene, today’s trailer showed much more of Vickers. Oddly, she appeared to be the one advising caution about possible alien contact … almost as if she knows what’s coming?
Then, it was full throttle scare-the-crap-out-the-punters time.
To fans some parts of the trailer will be familiar, but there was a lot of new footage too. Snakes lunging out of oily black water, a face melting – actually, make that imploding – running, fighting, that huge monolith face, more running,blue holographic space jockeys and much frantic dialogue -“is it moving”, “cut it off! cut if off! ”
But maybe the real question is; will this trailer entice newcomers to the Prometheus universe into “seeing this?”
In the second ad break, tweets full of excited adjectives along with the requested hashtag #areyouseeingthis, scrolled across the screen. Households around the UK may still be talking about what they’ve just seen, and no doubt there are already plans in motion to build on that before the film lands in the UK on June 1.
Film certification looms, but Fox and Scott have been clear about their “we won’t cut a thing” stance. So were the fans. In the Prometheus Forum chat room where the film was also shown, many fans posted variations of ” We want the R version” messages.
They’re not the only ones.
Here’s the new three minute trailer.