The realm of superpowers and the persecution of those who have otherworldly abilities has become a significant topic in the superhero genre. 20th Century Fox has shown particular talent in this realm with its production of the X-Men franchise. However, there's another property on the horizon that will tackle this subject, and it looks downright heartwrenching. On that note, a trailer for The Darkest Minds has officially debuted, and it funnels the notion of superpowers through a notably teen-oriented perspective. Check it out, below.
It's fine if you have to wipe away some tears. We get it. Based on a novel by Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds centers on a young girl named Ruby (The Hunger Games' Amandla Stenberg) who finds herself interned in a camp when the government begins rounding up young people with superpowers after a disease wipes out 98% of the world's youth population. Finding a new family in the confines of her prison, Ruby eventually begins to come to grips with the abilities that she has developed and soon forges a romance with a telekinetic boy named Liam (Harris Dickinson).
Right off the bat, it's easy to see how much The Darkest Minds has in common with comic book movie franchises like X-Men. That said, there's a notable difference in terms of perspective and tone. Unlike movies like X-Men: Apocalypse or Deadpool, this film doesn't feature tights or elaborate costumes or jets that surface from underneath basketball courts. Instead, this looks like a more ground-level examination of kids trying to deal with changes in their bodies (the allegory is strong with this one), and that alone makes The Darkest Minds quite different from other superpower-oriented projects that have debuted on the big screen in recent years. This August looks decidedly barren when it comes to movies in this genre so The Darkest Minds could make a big impression on audiences when it hits on August 3.
Of course, one of the most interesting and intriguing elements of The Darkest Minds is the strength of the cast that the film has assembled. In addition to Harrison Dickinson and Amandla Stenberg, the movie has also enlisted supporting players like Star Wars actress Gwendoline Christie, Mandy Moore, and Bradley Whitford. That's an eclectic cast from a wide variety of genres and franchises, so it will undoubtedly prove fascinating to see how they all coalesce in this particular movie.
Make sure to keep it here for more updates related to The Darkest Minds as new details related to the upcoming YA flick become available to us. The movie will premiere later this summer on August 3, and until then, you can check out our 2018 movie premiere guide to get more information on everything else that's coming to theaters this year!
