‘Gods of Egypt’ Attempts a Do-Over with a New, More Serious Trailer

http://collider.com/gods-of-egypt-trailer-gerard-butler/


‘Gods of Egypt’ Attempts a Do-Over with a New, More Serious Trailer

Just a month after the initial trailer debut, Summit Entertainment and Lionsgate have released a new trailer for its colorful fantasy actioner Gods of Egypt. Directed by Dark City and The Crow helmer Alex Proyas, the movie stars Gerard Butler as Set, the cruel god who ushered in an age of darkness after usurping the throne. When the young mortal Bek (Brenton Thwaites) enlists the help of another powerful god, Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), they lead a rebellion to overthrow the merciless king.

This trailer very much feels like the studio attempting a do-over after the response that very silly initial trailer received. This new cut ups the stakes and makes this all seem deadly serious before smash cutting to money shots of all the big VFX creatures. Essentially, this trailer throws everything it’s got at audiences in the hopes that someone, somewhere is mildly interested in seeing this thing.

It doesn’t help that Lionsgate and Proyas have already officially apologized for filling their cast of Egyptians with a bunch of white folks—how many times have you see the people involved apologize for their movie months before it comes out? Honestly, Gods of Egypt doesn’t look that bad—it’s no more ridiculous than the new Clash or Wrath of the Titans—but I’m dubious that audiences are keen on seeing a big sword and sandals spectacle. Sci-fi/fantasy films that aren’t part of an established franchise haven’t fared great as of late (reminder: Jupiter Ascending and Seventh Son are movies that were released in 2015), so the odds would appear to be stacked against Gods of Egypt even without the goofiness of these trailers.

Anyway, take a look for yourself at the trailer below, which is followed by Collider’s own mash-up of the first trailer with Stargate and a little extra surprise. Gods of Egypt also stars Elodie Yung, Abbey Lee, Geoffrey Rush, Chadwick Boseman, and Courtney Eaton and opens in theaters on February 26, 2016.

Here’s the official synopsis for Gods of Egypt:

Magic, monsters, gods and madness reign throughout the palaces and pyramids of the Nile River Valley in this action-adventure inspired by the classic mythology of Egypt. With the survival of mankind hanging in the balance, an unexpected hero takes a thrilling journey to save the world and rescue his true love. Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, has usurped Egypt’s throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. With only a handful of heroic rebels opposing Set’s savage rule, Bek (Brenton Thwaites), a bold and defiant mortal, enlists the aid of powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in an unlikely alliance against the evil overlord. As their breathtaking battle against Set and his henchmen take them into the afterlife and across the heavens, both god and mortal must pass tests of courage and sacrifice if they hope to prevail in the spectacular final confrontation.