There are few filmmakers quite as legendary and iconic as Peter Jackson. The Lord of the Rings director is now lending his vision and clout to a new literary adaptation, Universal Pictures' Mortal Engines. Jackson is producing and writing the upcoming blockbuster, which is adapted from the novel of the same name, and has the potential to turn into another massive franchise with his name attached. The cast and crew of Mortal Engines recently appeared at New York Comic-Con, where they revealed the first 25 minutes of the upcoming blockbuster. This includes a surprise cameo by Despicable Me's Minions, although they're actually used in the perfect way.
Mortal Engines jumps right into its action, revealing a post-post apocalyptic world many years in the future. The Earth as we know it no longer exists, after various countries destroyed each other in a flurry of nuclear attacks referred to as the Sixty Minute War. Now in a steampunk inspired future, any surviving pieces of our world have become priceless relics. This includes a statue of two Minions, which are referred to as "American Deities". I guess the history books remember how much Minion-related merch has been around in the past five years or so. While not exactly worshipped, enough money has been spent to call the minions deities in their own right.
The first 25 minutes of Mortal Engines does lots of this world building, revealing how things have changed since the world ended with the Sixty Minute War. The physical environment of the planet is mostly scorched earth, and reference is made to a bridge that connects the various continents. And with resources so limited, society has turned into a Mad Max-esque hellscape-- except you have a chance to get captured and survive if your traction city is overrun.
The giant driving cities of Mortal Engines will likely take up much of the film's buzz, before it arrives in theaters in about a month. As the titular Mortal Engines, the movie opens up with an epic chase scene. The sheer power of a mobile London is made clear, as it towers above the smaller scavenger city that's attempting to run away. Like a typical Peter Jackson project, the visual affects are absolutely stunning, and quickly help to get the audience invested. Seeing how the mobile cities function interpersonally and technologically is fascinating, and each giant rig provides an excellent setting for thrilling action sequences. Spoiler alert: there's plenty of action in the first 25 minutes of the movie.
Luckily for cinephiles, they won't have to wait too long until all the answers are revealed. Mortal Engines will arrive in theaters on December 14th 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
