Drew Goddard has already demonstrated numerous times how talented a film and television screenwriter he is, but in 2012, he showed off his directing chops with The Cabin in the Woods, which was met with critical acclaim. Six years later, Goddard's second directorial effort, Bad Times at the El Royale, is on its way, and if the first trailer is any indication, it's going to be one of the weirder theatrical offerings this fall, though still entertaining.
Set in 1969, Bad Times at the El Royale sees six strangers visiting the El Royale hotel, which rests right on the border line separating California and Nevada. Our lineup of players includes a priest, played Jeff Bridges; a vacuum cleaner salesman, played by Jon Hamm; a sister criminal duo, played by Dakota Johnson and Cailee Spaeny, respectively; a down-on-her-luck singer, played by Cynthia Erivo; and a charismatic cult leader, played by Chris Hemsworth. Then there's the hotel's concierge, played by Lewis Pullman. But at this trailer shows us, the El Royale is not a hotel where you'll be able to kick back and relax, and it's definitely long since passed its glory days. Each of these characters, who have their own dark secrets, will face a night of hell, and I fear not all of them will make it out alive.
As you can tell from the preview, Bad Times at the El Royale comfortably rests in the thriller genre, and judging by the footage shown, there won't be any shortage of dramatic moments, be it within the hotel itself, directly outside the property or from that armored car robbery teased at several points. That said, by far my favorite part of the trailer is this hilarious snippet of Chris Hemsworth doing that funky dance. Was anyone else reminded of Oscar Isaac showing off his moves in Ex Machina?
Starting out as a writer for TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Alias, Drew Goddard made the jump to movies with 2008's Cloverfield, and his writing credits since then have included World War Z and The Martian. He's also writing and directing the upcoming X-Force movie, but before that, we'll see how his second time overseeing things behind the camera goes with Bad Times at the El Royale. Looking to be equal parts crazy and intense, it will be interesting to see how this bizarre story unfolds on the big screen.
Along with the previously mentioned actors, Bad Times at the El Royale's cast includes Russell Crowe, Nick Offerman and Mark O'Brien. The movie hits theaters on October 5, putting it in competition with Venom and A Star is Born that opening weekend. If you're interested in learning what other movies are coming out later this year, look through our 2018 release schedule.
