After Deadpool brought the X-Men franchise into “R”-rated comedy genre and Logan took the characters on a journey through classic Western themes, the first trailer for The New Mutants suggests that the X-Men spinoff is poised to explore the realm of horror films.
Directed by The Fault in our Stars filmmaker Josh Boone from a script by Boone and Knate Lee (Cardboard Boxer, Kidnap), The New Mutants is based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name and follows a group of young characters with extraordinary abilities who are held against their will in a secret facility. Just beginning to understand their powers, these “new mutants” must come to terms with what they can do — and what they’ve already done, in some cases — if they have any hope of escaping their prison.
The film’s cast features The Witch and Split actress Anya Taylor-Joy as the teleporting mutant Magik, who had a deeply rooted connection to dark, alternate dimensions in Marvel’s comics continuity, while Game of Thrones and Doctor Who actress Maisie Williams portrays the mutant Wolfsbane, a girl with the ability to transform into a savage, wolf-like creature. Joining them is Stranger Things actor Charlie Heaton as Cannonball, a mutant capable of propelling himself forward at blazing speeds, as well as Blu Hunt (The Originals) as Danielle Moonstar, who can conjure terrifying illusions based on other people’s fears; Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why) as Sunspot, a mutant who can control solar energy; and Alice Braga (Predators, I Am Legend) as facility doctor Cecilia Reyes. Warlock, a shape-shifting alien who played a major role in the New Mutants comic-book series, is also expected to appear in the film as a digitally created character.
In May, Boone first hinted at the genre influence on The New Mutants, describing the film as “a full-fledged horror movie set within the X-Men universe.”
“There are no costumes. There are no supervillains,” he explained. “We’re trying to do something very, very different.”
Created by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod, the New Mutants comic book debuted in 1983 and followed a group of teenage students of Charles Xavier as they coped with the combined stresses of young adulthood and having powerful abilities that set them apart from the rest of humanity. The series was well-received for its serious take on the issues facing teenagers and the very real threats — and consequences — the team faced both within their own social circle and from outside enemies.
The New Mutants is scheduled to arrive in theaters April 13, 2018.
