Well, I couldn’t help myself – I went ahead and read the description for J.J. Abrams’ (once) secret project, SUPER 8, his homage to the late 70s Spielberg films that I wrote about last week. I was telling myself not to, but damn it all to hell, I just got too curious… Consider the rest of this article a SPOILER. If you plan on seeing IRON MAN 2 this weekend (with which the trailer is attached), then don’t bother reading, because you’ll be seeing it for yourself. The rest of us will have to wait for it to pop online.
Here goes (via Slashfilm, which claims this description is 100% reliable and accurate):
The trailer lasts about one minute and a half.
It begins with the Green MPAA screen, followed by the Paramount Pictures logo. No Bad Robot at the header.
A train rushes by the screen. We notice that it has lots of cargo.
Text comes on the screen: “In 1979, The U.S. Air Force Closed A Section of AREA 51.”
We see the railroad crossing light blinking and ringing as the camera pans up we see some sort of light moving in the background. What is it? A UFO?
More Text: “All The Materials Were To Be Transported To A Secure Facility In Ohio.”
No, it appears to be the headlights of a yellow 1970’s truck, which skids in a 180 degree motion, and suddenly pulls onto the tracks.
Point of view of the truck heading into the light.
Black screen and white text: “From Producer Steven Spielberg”
We see the truck explode as it hits the train.
Then… the cargo train is heading towards the car explosion – BAM. It is wrecked, thrown from the tracks like a wild snake. The flaming metal body flipping towards the camera. Cars flying through the air. It is INTENSE.
Another black screen and the text: “And Director JJ Abrams”
The camera really slowly moves in on the wrecked pieces of the train, most of which is now just scrap metal. At least one car remains intact.
Black screen, white text: “Next Summer”
We see some sparks.
Black screen, white text: “It Arrives”
We pull up on one of the train cars with a US Airforce logo. The wheel on the door begins to spin out of control as we pull in closer. The wall of the door begins to bend like some huge force is punching it from the inside.
Cut to one second of a close up of an 8mm camera lens.
Cut to black. White text: “Super 8″
There you have it. What’s really interesting is that this is the second high-profile Area 51-related project expected to come out next year, Oren Peli’s AREA 51 being the first. (And I’m not even counting Syfy’s sure-to-be-massive 51, starring Bruce Boxleitner.) I’m sure Peli can’t feel too good about this, although having read that screenplay, I’m confidant they will be very different movies. And who knows? This could go the way of CLOVERFIELD and end up being rather disappointing; however, that was only produced by Abrams, not written and directed by – which this one is.
Lizzy Caplan, of CLOVERFIELD fame
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