Annihilation debuts a new TV spot, showing Natalie Portman going up against an ever-evolving threat. The second feature film from Alex Garland, Annihilation is based on the Southern Reach Trilogy by author Jeff VanderMeer. Garland’s previous film Ex Machina was a critical and commercial success. The film also helped launch the career of Oscar-winner and new Lara Croft Alicia Vikander.

Garland’s new sci-fi movie takes place after an incident has left part of the earth uninhabitable. Soldiers penetrate this forbidden zone where a mysterious phenomenon called “The Shimmer,” dominates, and one of them (Oscar Isaac) brings back a fatal illness. Natalie Portman’s biologist – who happens to also be Isaac’s wife – ventures into the zone with a team in hopes of finding a cure for the disease. As they unravel the mystery of The Shimmer, the team comes face-to-face with a horrific, ever-evolving threat.


Paramount has dropped a new TV trailer for Annihilation, highlighting The Shimmer and its mutating horrors. The movie co-stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, and Tuva Novotny. See the promo above.


The new clip doesn’t add much to what we’ve seen in previous trailers. The basics of the story are laid out: something bad happened to the earth. There’s this strange shimmering force field. Isaac returns from a mission and is going to die. Portman enters the forbidden zone to discover its secrets. Somehow, The Shimmer causes all sorts of freakish genetic mutations, spawning horrific creatures. The Shimmer also seemingly causes people to go insane. It’s classic survival horror/sci-fi, but in Garland’s hands, things have a chance to be a bit more cerebral than usual.

Moreso than some previous trailers, the new spot emphasizes the story’s similarities to Alien. General audiences therefore should have no problem figuring out what this movie is about. However, unlike Alien, Annihilation will not spawn a franchise. According to Garland, his movie will get no sequels. Of course, if the film is a huge hit, that plan could change (and Garland might not be the one directing the sequels).

Garland has previously clashed with Paramount over certain aspects of the movie, including its “mind-blowing” ending, which he refused to change despite their insistence. The studio reportedly found the film “too intellectual” and as a result struck a deal with Netflix to handle most international distribution. This means only U.S., Canadian and Chinese audiences will get to see Annihilation on the big screen.

Source: Paramount Pictures