Lovecraft Country TV Show Full Trailer Reveals First Look At Cthulhu

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A full trailer has been released for the upcoming HBO series Lovecraft Country, offering the first glimpse at the iconic and monstrous Cthulhu. Lovecraft Country began life as a novel by Matt Ruff. Published in 2016, it received rave reviews. It was notably singled out for its exploration of the intersection between the horror stories of H.P. Lovecraft and racism in the United States. By 2017, it was announced that it would be adapted for HBO by former Sons of Anarchy writer and Underground creator Misha Green. It was also revealed that Get Out's Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams would serve as producers on the series. Immensely anticipated, Lovecraft Country became the most exciting show of 2020.

Lovecraft Country follows a science-fiction fan, Atticus Black (Jonathan Majors), as he embarks on a road trip in search of his missing father (Michael K. Williams). Joined by his friend Letitia "Leti" Dandridge (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance), the trio find themselves journeying through the heart of Jim Crow America in the 1950s. Not only do they find themselves beset by racist threats but the kind of eldritch terrors often found in the pages of Lovecraft's ever-popular stories.

A new trailer released by HBO highlights those overlapping themes - with the term monster not easily distinguished between creature and man. The trailer also highlights more of the film's mystery elements, with Atticus speaking of "a secret birthright" he intends to recover. Furthermore, it introduces a mysterious organization offering "an invitation to unmitigated power" - the supernatural likes of which will no doubt only bring further chaos and strife. A tease of what that trouble might look like comes near the end when a pair come face to face with the dreaded Cthulhu itself. As such, Williams' ominous warning was probably best listened to. Check out the full trailer below:

Lovecraft Country is one of many new trailers being released across Comic-Con weekend. The series also stars Aunjanue Ellis as Atticus' adventurous aunt, Hippolyta Black, and Wunmi Mosaki as Leti's hustler half-sister, Ruby Dandridge. Once Upon a Time's Jamie Chung plays Ji-Ah, a seemingly naive nursing student who is more than what she seems. Veteran actor Tony Goldwyn also features as Samuel Braithwhite, the mysterious patriarch of his family who had some creepy proclamations of his own in the above trailer. The main cast is rounded out by Abbey Lee's Christina Braithwhite. As the daughter of Samuel, she's very much immersed with his secret order, the "Sons of Adam".

First appearing the 1928 short story, "The Call of Cthulhu", Cthulhu is considered the Great Old One within the pantheon of Lovecraft's cosmic entities. As a result, it inspired the adoration of cultists in Lovecraft's stories - for which the "Sons of Adam" may or may not serve as a stand-in. Cthulhu has since been referenced in countless sections of pop culture, including Rick and Morty. For decades, however, fans of the creature had yearned to see it realized in live-action. For a time, many anticipated that the creature in Cloverfield would be Cthulhu. Though that turned out to not be the case, an Abrams-related property has served to fulfill that wish in the end. Equally, the blending of different genres with real-world issues looks set to produce another Watchmen-level hit for the cable network.

Lovecraft Country is set to premiere via HBO on August 16, 2020.