Best New Movie Trailers: ‘Alita: Battle Angel,’ ‘Detective Pikachu’ and More
Crafting the perfect movie trailer is hard work. There must be enough intrigue to get the audience excited without revealing too much about the film’s plot points and key moments (even then, things don’t always work out perfectly). Because of the sheer volume of new movie trailers being released in a given week, we’ve taken the liberty of rounding them up and separating the good from the bad for you. Check out the latest must-see trailers below, whether you’re looking for action, horror, comedy, or something else.
It probably goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: Spoiler alert! Tread carefully, friends.
Note: All release dates are for the United States.
‘Alita: Battle Angel’
Every trailer for this adaptation of Yukito Kishiro’s acclaimed manga series looks more spectacular (and a little crazier) than the last. Directed by Robert Rodriguez from a script penned by James Cameron (yes, that James Cameron) and Laeta Kalogridis, Alita follows an amnesiac cyborg given a new home and a new life by a kind scientist who discovers her body in a scrapyard. She eventually learns she’s more powerful than anyone realized, and is given the chance to change the world for the better. The film was originally scheduled to hit theaters in December, but was delayed in order to spend more time on its impressive visual effects. The CG-fueled adventure has a great cast, with Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, Eiza González, Michelle Rodriguez, Christoph Waltz, and Jackie Earle Haley all appearing in this wild sci-fi story.
Release date: February 14, 2019
‘Pokémon Detective Pikachu’
When this film was first announced, it was easy to be skeptical that it would ever make it to the screen, but now here we are with the first trailer for Detective Pikachu — and it actually looks … funny? Ryan Reynolds voices the popular yellow Pokémon at the heart of the film, and the trailer offers a good synopsis of the story that’s going to bring the world of the Pokémon game franchise to the big screen. Could this be the rare exception to whatever rule that keeps video game movies from being any good? Goosebumps and Monsters vs. Aliens director Rob Letterman is behind the camera, so there’s reason to be optimistic about Detective Pikachu.
Release date: May 10, 2019
‘RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop’
Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 sci-fi action classic RoboCop changed the game for genre films in myriad ways, and now it’s getting its own “making of” documentary that explores the development and production of the film, as well as the effect it had on Hollywood when it hit theaters. The documentary is the product of a successful crowdfunding campaign, and the five-minute trailer we now have for it does a nice job of explaining why RoboCop was — and remains — such a big deal. From its over-the-top violence and sci-fi concepts to its blunt exploration of social and political themes (some of which ring particularly true these days), RoboCop managed to be both ahead of its time and a sign of the times (the “greed is good” 1980s, that is) when it was released. The doc is still in post-production, but you can visit its Facebook page for more details.
Release date: TBD
‘Toy Story 4’
We thought the old gang had finally retired to the toy box in the sky, but Disney is bringing Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the Toy Story crew back for another adventure next summer. The first, oh-so-brief teaser trailer for Toy Story 4 is pretty much what you expect from a Disney and Pixar preview, as it hits all the right nostalgic buttons while not giving away much of anything when it comes to the plot. But hey, you have to love that spork, right?
Release date: June 21, 2019
