Over the past few days we’ve had our first glimpse at two of next year’s big science fiction offerings in Star Trek Into Darkness and Oblivion and now we can add a third to that list, with the first trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi thriller After Earth surfacing online today via MSN.
Shyamalan hasn’t been on the top of his game lately (his last decent movie came back in 1999, 2000, 2002 or 2004 depending on how much goodwill you afforded him for The Sixth Sense), so naturally he’ll be hoping that the combination of father and son team Will and Jaden Smith will be enough to halt a career slump that’s culminated with a trio of absolute abominations in Lady in the Water, The Happening and The Last Airbender.
“A crash landing leaves teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape. With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help, facing uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and an unstoppable alien creature that escaped during the crash. Father and son must learn to work together and trust one another if they want any chance of returning home.“
So, what’s the twist in this one, then? I’m guessing it’s actually set way, way back in the past, and Jaden Smith is going to end up being Adam. Or, if Shyamalan really wants to shock us, how about it turns out to be… watchable?
After Earth is set for release on June 7th, 2013, with a supporting cast that includes Isabelle Fuhrman (The Hunger Games), Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones), Gabriel Caste (Frozen Lies) and Zoe Kravitz (X-Men: First Class).
Originally published December 10, 2012. Updated December 13, 2019.
