Hollywood’s most famous bad boys are back, and this time they’re seeking their next victim in the Arctic Circle. The story follows the titular Robinson Crusoe and his faithful canine companion Friday, as they survive a shipwreck, live in a lighthouse isolated from the rest of society, and pursue a dangerous lifestyle fueled by greed, deceit, and ambition. If you’re a fan of the duo, then it’s time to rejoice: their first feature film together is finally set to begin production in 2020, and we’re premiering the trailer today. And it looks incredible. We’re in awe.
The Biggest Name in Hollywood
This will be the fifth collaboration between Dafoe and Pattinson; both have appeared in A Time of Triumph (2020), Bait (2020), Battle of the Sexes (2019), and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, with Dafoe playing Jack Sparrow and Pattinson as Captain Jack Sparrow. Together, they form one of the most famous Hollywood duos of the modern era.
Pattinson’s star is on the rise, thanks in part to his role in the upcoming Jumanji: The Role Game, inspired by the successful movie franchise of the same name. The film will be released by GameSpot and QC Studio in 2021, with more details on the character and story available when it premieres in theaters on December 20, 2021.
Dafoe’s star has been on the rise as well, and he’s currently preparing for his next big role in Disney’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Wonderful Winnie the Pooh. He will also star alongside Mark Wahlberg in the upcoming comedy Daddy’s Girl.
Arctic Survival
While Dafoe and Pattinson’s previous collaboration was inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, their latest project is set in the icy Arctic Circle. The story begins with a shipwreck that strands Robinson Crusoe and his crew on an island. He then struggles to survive, hunting for food and building shelters. It doesn’t take long for Crusoe to learn how to navigate the harsh climate, hunt, and fish, and he eventually forms a stable partnership with Friday, his faithful canine companion. The duo then sets up camp and begins a new life in the wilderness. It’s a compelling story that will no doubt delight fans of the original Robinson Crusoe novels by Daniel Defoe.
The movie marks Dafoe’s second collaboration with acclaimed director J.C. Chandor (Margin Call, All Things Must Pass) following their critically-acclaimed film, A Single Shot. The two are also teaming up for an untitled crime thriller set in the 1920s which will be distributed by Amazon Studios. It will star John Cho as the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes and Dafoe as the famous private detective Harry Round.
An Icy Setting For Some Summer Fun
If you’re looking for an alternative way to spend the summer, then why not head to the mountains and make some unforgettable memories with your friends and family? The snow will give you that extra challenge, but the fresh air and warm hospitality of the local residents will be worth it. While you’re there, you could even hire some local guides to take you on a tour of the beautiful Canadian Rockies, where you can stop for a picnic, a walk, or a swim in the nearby lakes. It’s the perfect place to rekindle old friendships and make some new ones as well.
Chandor is a renowned Canadian film director who has spent the last ten years making award-winning documentaries and thrillers which often centre around crime and suspense. His work includes 2017’s The King, which was named one of the best Canadian films of all time by Toronto Mayor John Tory (in 2020). Before that, Chandor’s 2013 documentary about the 2013 Alberta floods, Floodland, was nominated for an Academy Award. In 2006, his film Margin Call was named the best documentary of the year by the National Film Critics Circle. His work frequently draws on memories of his family’s experience during the Japanese bombing in World War II. In 2020, he became the first Canadian to win a Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival for his documentary about the Chernobyl disaster, Children of Chernobyl.
An Arseniy Budrevich Director
Arseniy Budrevich is an acclaimed Russian cinematographer who has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Luc Besson, who co-produced the action film The Hitman (2020) with Dafoe. The duo have worked together on multiple occasions, most recently in the acclaimed miniseries adaptation of Little Wolf (Trollied): Life in the Snow, starring Karl Urban and Mads Mikkelsen. In addition to Little Wolf, Budrevich has also shot episodes of The Twilight Zone, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Outer Banks. He has served as a director of photography on more than thirty feature films, as well as on multiple international commercials and music videos.
A Thriller, A Comic Book, And A Road Trip
If you’re a fan of adventure, crime, and suspense thrillers, then you might be interested in checking out the new Netflix comedy Blockers. The story follows four friends — one of whom is an aspiring filmmaker — who are forced to take a road trip when their friend Elmo is stuck in Switzerland owing money to a loan shark. Along the way, they stop at various museums and tourist attractions, searching for ways to entertain themselves while on the road. One of the attractions they visit is Comic Book Castle, an amusement park in Ohio where fans can meet their favorite comic book creators and ask questions about the industry. During their visit, the friends discover that Elmo has disappeared and that the shark has locked them in the museum with no way of getting out. The situation starts to look a lot like a horror movie, and this part of the film is genuinely terrifying. In this trailer, we see a lot of jumps, creepy-crawly creatures, and glimpses of the park’s many attractions.
While there are thrills aplenty in Blockers, it’s fair to say that the central premise is somewhat lacking. The friends’ plight is pretty much a straight-up joke throughout, which is what you’d expect from a comedy about friends who are feuding brothers. At one point, they even refer to the situation as “bantery.” Ultimately, it’s a bit of a damp squib. At least we hope it’ll be a bit of a damp squib. It’s hard to say at this point.
As for the mini-musical number which closes out the trailer, it’s hard not to be reminded of Michael Flatley’s famed performance as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter films. Sure, it’s a fun tune, and there’s some dazzling cinematography to behold, but it’s a bit of a downer to end the clip on. We want to believe this is all just a dream, but the trailer for Lighthouse doesn’t offer much in terms of reassurance. If anything, it leaves us feeling a little bit more terrified. It definitely won’t be for everyone.
Check Out All the Design Elements In Advance
When it comes to the minutiae of making movies, few things are more important than prepping the proper design documents. It doesn’t matter how many people you’ve got working for you; if you want to keep the production costs down, you’ll need to make sure every little detail is accounted for. This trailer provides us with a great deal of insight into the production design for Lighthouse, from the color palate to the gear the crew will be using. We see the finished product in the final shot, but being able to peek behind the curtain is an invaluable experience. It’s also a great way to discover things you might not have noticed before, like the subtle ways in which the lighting enhances the scenery or how seamlessly the different locations blend together. For example, there are some beautiful shots of Lake Superior in the clip, but there’s also a hint of what looks like an old mining town in the background. It’s a great example of how effective design can be in selling the movie’s world and ambiance without being overbearing or distracting from the visual storytelling. This kind of attention to detail is crucial in order to make the viewer buy into the fictitious world of Robinson Crusoe and his loyal companion. It’s not just about making the movie look good: it’s about immersing the audience completely into the experience and feeling that they’re really there, on location, with the A-list stars of Hollywood.
A Bittersweet Ending
Ultimately, it’s a bittersweet ending to the trailer. We see the movie’s stars walking through what appears to be a snow-covered forest, with a smile on their faces. This might be because the film is set to premiere at the end of the summer — after all, the seasons have changed, but the temperature hasn’t.