TV remakes of interesting movies have been all the rage this season, but Syfy has beat a lot of the other channels to the punchline with its 12 Monkeys series, based on Terry Gillam’s 1996 film of the same name. The cable network picked up the drama more than a year ago, and has taken its time getting the show together. Now, we’ve been given an extended trailer for 12 Monkeys. Check it out, below.
As the trailer shows, 12 Monkeys will follow a worldwide pandemic that wipes out most of humanity. But this isn’t your average post-apocalyptic pandemic type of show. In Syfy’s drama, years after the plague strikes, a prisoner is tasked with time traveling back to the past in order to potentially change the outcome of the future for mankind. His name is James Cole, and in the trailer he meets up with Dr. Cassandra Railly, who may just be able to help him change the world. The trailer is full of quick cut-to shots, during which we meet Cole, Railly and Leland Frost, who is reportedly responsible for causing the pandemic. There are also pictures of burning bodies, hopeless humans, the time travel machine, and billboards covered in pandemic notes. Oh yeah, and some passionate lovemaking. Because sex will be what everyone has on the brain when the world is ending.
Honestly, Syfy really seems to be stepping up its game with 12 Monkeys. The trailer looks dramatic in a compelling way, and the cast is stellar. Amanda Schull’s been one of my favorite things about Suits for the past several seasons, and she’s wildly underused in that drama, so kudos to Syfy for nabbing her. And Zeljko Ivanek was creepy as hell as JJ on Big Love back in the day. This trailer gives me zero reason to believe his character will be any different this time around.
I can’t wait to see what both actors do with their larger roles in 12 Monkeys. The show also feels different enough from its movie counterpart that audiences should hopefully be able to find reasons to like both.
We won’t have too much longer to wait. While 12 Monkeys feels like it has been in development forever, Syfy has finally set a premiere date for 12 Monkeys this January. You can catch the first episode when it hits the schedule on Friday, January 16 at 9 p.m. ET.
