The holidays are coming, so that means the time has come for yet another high-profile film with an all-star ensemble cast. This year, we get Collateral Beauty, a drama starring Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kiera Knightley, Michael Peña, Naomie Harris, Jacob Latimore, Kate Winslet, and Helen Mirren.
Warner Bros. Pictures dropped the latest trailer Thursday, providing another look at Smith as Howard, a man who finds an unusual way to try and cope with the loss of his daughter. His coping strategy involves writing letters, not to people but things, including love, time, and death. Shockingly, he gets responses — in the form of visits from each. They are played by Knightley, Latimore, and Mirren, respectively. (As he says, “turns out death is an elderly white lady.” Who knew?)
The trailer shows how the people in Howard’s life react to his unique brand of grief, and it’s clear they’re more than a little worried about him. He is, too — in fact, he questions whether some of the people he sees are actually there.
The film looks like it will ultimately be about hope and healing, which is fitting given the time of year it will be released. There are plenty of poignant moments throughout the preview, but we’ll have to wait and see whether it manages to come across as powerful rather than melodramatic. Either way, with its star-studded cast, Collateral Beauty should have wide box office appeal this holiday season.
The film is written by Allan Loeb (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) and directed by David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada). Collateral Beauty hits theaters on December 16.
