Lionsgate does not want you to know too much about the plot for the new thriller, “Antebellum.” Even after watching three different trailers, there’s the feeling that something is being hidden from the viewer, but what?
It’s rare to see a marketing campaign such as this one in this day and age of trailers spoiling key plot points for almost every blockbuster. The latest trailer for “Antebellum,” clocking in at just 42 seconds, continues the hush-hush vibe, we still have more questions than answers, and that’s perfectly fine. Even the official synopsis that was sent by Lionsgate to this site reads like a whole bunch of nothing:
“Successful author Veronica Henley (Janelle Monáe) finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it’s too late. ANTEBELLUM is a terrifying new thriller from the producer of the acclaimed films GET OUT and US, and groundbreaking directors Gerard Bush and Christoper Renz (Bush+Renz) – an exciting new voice in filmmaking.”
Consider me cautiously intrigued for this movie which finds Monáe playing an author from the present day that, shockingly, finds herself shot back in time almost 200 years to slavery era USA. But is it a hallucination? The trailer seems to hint it might be. Based on that premise alone, this could very well be another scathing socio-political indictment of the country delivered through genre thrills ala “Get Out.”
“Antebellum” was supposed to be in theaters in April, but is now set for an August 21st theatrical release.
Paul Greengrass’ "The Uprising," starring Andrew Garfield, opened to $3.2M from 2,068 theaters this weekend. Yikes. The budget hasn’t been disclosed, but is said to be in the $20-$30M range.