As promised, HBO released the first full teaser for their upcoming series The Leftovers. And while the video clocks in at forty-five seconds, about thirty of those seconds focus on math. Ok, in fairness, it's really important math, as it gives us some crucial perspective on what 2% of the world's population means when it just up and vanishes into thin air. Use of imagery enhances that perspective as we're made to understand just how many people 2% really is.
The teaser leads into the sight of a baby disappearing from his or her car seat, as a demonstration of just how sudden and horrific this event is in this reality.
HBO announced last week that they would be debuting The Leftovers on Sunday, June 15. Adapted by Damon Lindeloff and Tom Perrotta, based on Perotta's book, the story is set in the aftermath of an event being referred to as "The Rapture." 2% of humanity -- or about 140 million people -- has just up and vanished, leaving those left behind to wonder what happened and why they weren't among those raptured.
While most of the teaser focuses on what 2% of the population really means to humanity, we do get a couple notable glimpses of how The Rapture relates to the series, including this shot of a group of cultish looking people dressed in white and on the march...
It might be safe to assume that they're members of "The Guilty Remnant," the named cult in Perrotta's book. They like to chain smoke and silently stare you down if they think you deserve it...
There's actually a website dedicated to these people.
As you might imagine, these people don't always mesh well with others...
Looks like some kind of altercation there.
The teaser also gives us a quick glimpse of Justin Theroux checking in on an empty bedroom...
Theroux plays Kevin Garvey in the series. In the book, his character is the new mayor of the town of Mapleton, and he's determined to help his community get through the Rapture ordeal and resume life, though his own life has been drastically altered in the aftermath.
Also among the cast are Liv Tyler, Amy Brenneman and Christopher Eccleston. We'll presumably get to learn a bit more about all of their characters when the June premiere is closer and HBO starts releasing more detailed promotional content. In the meantime, this is a great new tease for the series, which will eventually be paired with True Blood on Sunday nights.
