Move parodies are par for the course when it comes to Super Bowl commercials – with the typical move being to take a classic movie and put a modern spin on it. Past examples of this model have included films like Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Groundhog Day, but this year the one that everybody is talking about is the new Cadillac spot spoofing Edward Scissorhands. It's partially exciting because it features Winona Ryder reprising her role of Kim Boggs from the Tim Burton classic, but mostly earning attention because it features Timothee Chalamet as Edward's son, Edgar Scissorhands. You can check out the ad below:
The world has obviously changed quite a lot since 1990, but apparently things are still quite challenging if you have an array of sharp blades instead of fingers. Sure, you can help your mom slice up a pineapple super quickly, but that doesn't seem like a totally useful skill when you slice the pull-cord on the bus, ruin your professor's experiment with magnets, and deflate footballs. The good news is that our modern world also includes cars that apparently don't require your hands to be on the wheel at all times, so little Edgar doesn't need to worry about scratching up the dash of his new ride.
The question now is: how long until some film executive sees this and thinks its a good concept for an Edward Scissorhands legacy sequel? Admittedly Timothee Chalamet would be an ideal pick to play the lead role, as it's impressive how well that costume fits him in this Super Bowl spot, but I think most of us will agree that everything that needs to be said or seen from such a project is already packed into this 90 second commercial. Of course, Hollywood really loves a dumb idea, so we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed that there is a solid enough quality safety net in the industry to stop this from being expanded into a feature.
Fortunately, Timothee Chalamet wouldn't exactly need the gig, as the young star has been killing it recently. This marks the first time that we've seen him on screen in 2021, but it most certainly won't be the last, as he will likely have as many as three movies out between now and the end of December. The big one is Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic Dune, which is scheduled for October, and he additionally has supporting roles in both Adam McKay's Don't Look Up and Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch. He's also going to be playing Bob Dylan in an upcoming James Mangold film, and recently signed a deal that will see him reteam with Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino for a coming-of-age cannibal movie.
All that is to say that if this ultimately marks the only time that we see Timothee Chalamet play a member of the Scissorhands clan, I think we'll all be fine – though it certainly is a fun Super Bowl commercial.
